Adventures of Minami Edogawa: The Suspicious Girl
by CoolKid94
Summary: PART THREE. Minami Edogawa, formerly Conan, has settled in to living life as a young girl. The only problem is that another young girl is starting to tear apart her disguise. How is Minami going to keep her identity safe? After all, if Ayumi finds out she's Conan, it's only a matter of time before Ran realizes she's Shinichi.
1. Seedlings

OK, to start off with, this is Part Three of a series. I highly recommend you read parts 1 and 2 first. To get there, go back a page, access my profile and scroll down until you see a list of my stories. Part 1 is The Second New Life and Part 2 is The New Alias. Come back here after reading those so you won't be horribly lost.

* * *

Here I am with the long awaited Adventures of Minami Edogawa Part Three! For those who had given up hope, you had no reason to fear; I _did_ get around to it eventually, just not as soon as I would've liked. I enjoyed reading all your ideas last time, and I've come up with a framework for future installments. If all goes well, the Adventures of Minami Edogawa will have five parts, after which I'll switch gears and write five parts of The Adventures of Sakura Kudo (spoiler alert! xD). Part Three features on Ayumi, Part Four will feature on Kid, and Part Five will feature Vermouth, with some good BO stuff along with it. Won't give details for fear of spoiling, but I figure I owed you all something good for such a long absence.

Now, this chapter is short. I _know_. I get tired of people commenting and saying that my chapters are too short. This chapter is an intro, and has all this intro stuff about the series, so the chapter itself is shorter than average. This is not a permanent trend. My new policy is to publish chapters with a 1,500 word minimum word limit, apart from obvious exceptions like this where I put a whole bunch of stuff at the top and/or bottom. But you're tired of hearing me ramble, right? Well, enjoy the story!

* * *

Chapter One

Ayumi felt threatened. She knew something was different. The obvious difference was Minami Edogawa. Her existence seemed…weird. When Ayumi talked to her, it was like talking to Conan all over again. She remembered distinctly what had tipped her off.

The five of them had been playing games at Agasa's when Haibara had made a comment, typical of her, which prompted a very odd response.

"Edogawa-kun," said Haibara, "I heard they're selling a new treasury edition of the main Holmes novels."

"Really?" asked Minami excitedly, losing her concentration. She and Haibara were deep in a virtual duel, and Minami, surprisingly, had been winning. Maybe it was from taking out so many criminals that she had so much practice.

"Yep; I saw the ad while I was looking through the magazines. It'll be out in about a week. You seriously didn't know?"

"Of course not, Haibara!" said Minami happily, subconsciously reverting to 'Conan' speak. The three kids watched the conversation silently. Ayumi's eyes narrowed.

'Defeated!' the game announced as Haibara emptied Minami's health bar. Furious, Minami turned to Haibara.

"That was dirty!" she said, all traces of happiness gone.

"What was?" asked Haibara innocently. "The point of the game is to defeat the opponent using any moves programmed into the game."

"You know what I mean," said Minami quietly, brushing her hair behind her ear and putting the controller down. "You tried to distract me with a fake Holmes advert."

"Did I?" asked Haibara, pulling a magazine off a pile and showing her a news article about it.

"Oh, you were serious?" Minami said happily, scanning the article. "I know just where I'll put these, too," she said to herself, totally forgetting about the rest of the kids.

"I want a turn!" said Genta loudly, dragging Minami, still focused on the article, off the rug and picking up the controller.

That had been the start. Maybe Ayumi had just missed it before, but now she thought about it, Minami seemed to know too much about her, her friends, her school, and people she knew. She resolved to find out if she was just thinking too hard or it there really was something going on.

XXX

The next day she saw Minami, which was at school, Ayumi decided to ask the question. She'd spent half an hour the night before coming up with just how to phrase it so Minami wouldn't get suspicious.

"Uh, Minami-chan?" Ayumi began, approaching her while Minami was busy tying back her hair.

"What, Ayumi-chan?" she asked, slightly annoyed because the hairband didn't want to go in.

"Do you need some help?" asked Ayumi, suddenly spotting an impromptu way of rephrasing the question.

Minami tried again, but it got hung on her disheveled hair. "Fine, I guess," she conceded, and Ayumi took it.

Ayumi had had plenty of practice putting in hairbands; she wore one every day. Spotting the problem, she slowly began extricating the hair from the band. "So, how are you finding Japan?" asked Ayumi, feigning the curiosity of a little girl.

"The people are a lot friendlier here, considering," said Minami, wincing as some of her hair got pulled.

"What about all the murders we come across, then?" asked Ayumi sharply, making Minami cringe.

"I honestly don't know. Tokyo supposedly has some of the lowest big-city crime rates in the world. Now I'm starting to think something bribed the reporters so Japan can attract more tourists."

"You were a detective in America, right? What crime sticks out in your mind more than the others?"

"That's a tough one. Maybe the time my detective group stopped a group of Mexican burglars. They stole $50,000 from a casino in Las Vegas to smuggle across the border, but their boss took the money and hid out in Los Angeles. His goons found him, but he'd already hidden the money, so they took his map and tried to find it themselves. I caught a snippet of their conversation and deduced the money's location, and the cops nailed them."

That was a big coincidence. It was practically an Americanized version of the time they'd found all those gold coins at the fish symbol on the treasure map. "Nice," said Ayumi, finishing up with the hair. "Now, that should do it. It's almost like you're not used to this, Minami-chan!"

"It wasn't _my_ fault Ran-neesan used up all the conditioner!" said Minami irritably, but Ayumi was no longer listening.

'If…if she's _Conan-kun_, that would be the weirdest thing EVER! I don't know what I would do if that were true. But it can't be true, can it?'

"Is something the matter, Ayumi-chan?" asked Minami suddenly, making her jump.

"It's just that I miss Conan-kun a lot," said Ayumi sadly, shrugging her bizarre thoughts aside.

She didn't notice Minami's downcast eyes.

* * *

Now, if anybody noticed a change in my writing style, then you've got sharp eyes. I've been writing a book for the past year or so, and that took up a lot of my time. However, now I'm in college and have more free time, I have more time to write and to update. So expect updates around 3-4 times a week or so. It might change if I have exams or something, but that's what I'm aiming for. Which means I'll have to make the story longer to make it interesting.

Next up, Ayumi's suspicions deepen, Haibara slips up, and more fun stuff. And let me know if you guys are still enjoying the series or not! Later. :D


	2. Catfight

Busy week. But never fear, because the new chapter is here! I think Ayumi's going to grow up even more cunning than Ran, don't you think? xD

* * *

Chapter Two

_Two days later_

"And that's why we _know_ you're the murderer!" Minami proclaimed, pointing directly at the stunned suspect.

The man fell to the ground. "It's all her fault! All I did was fansub ONE American cartoon, and she was blackmailing me, threatening to turn me in to the police for piracy! I couldn't take it anymore, so I killed her!"

"I've heard enough," said Inspector Yamamura, motioning to two officers. They cuffed the suspect and walked him away. He turned to the Detective Boys, who were busy gathering up the equipment from the demonstration of the trick. "That was amazing, uh, what was your name again?"

"Minami, Yamamura-keiji," said Minami, grinning.

"It's _keibu_, young lady," said Yamamura, ticked off.

Agasa had taken the Detective Boys camping in Gunma again, and as per the usual, the campsite had been flooded and they had stayed in a nearby inn. Then a murder occurred, which Minami had solved with 'help' from the Detective Boys. After using Agasa for the majority of the deduction, Minami had come out and used a kid-friendly tone to subdue the killer.

'It was almost like Conan-kun was here again,' Ayumi said to herself as she returned the stuff to the storeroom in the back of the inn. 'It was remarkably creepy. I know Minami-chan said they act alike, but no brother and sister act _that_ much alike. Mitsuhiko-kun and his sister don't act alike. Sonoko-neechan and _her_ sister don't act alike. So why should Conan-kun and Minami-chan act so much alike? I've got to find out what's going on!'

"Oi, Ayumi!" said Genta loudly, cutting through her thoughts. "The innkeeper's going to make us a rewarding dinner for helping solve the murder. What do you want?"

"Curry!" said Ayumi, becoming happy again. She resolved to try to figure out what was going on as soon as possible.

XXX

The next weekend, Haibara and Minami went to Agasa's house after school again, and Ayumi determined to follow them. She had noticed the two of them becoming increasingly close over the last few weeks, and it made her feel left out. It wasn't like Conan, where she had Haibara's word that it was nothing romantic. She knew they were just friends, and the constant arguments between them helped cement that feeling. Now, she didn't have to worry about a romantic rival, but a friendship rival. She had worked hard over the past half year to befriend Ai Haibara, and she felt threatened by the new girl coming in and shoving her out of the way.

That was how she found herself eavesdropping at the basement window. She had 'borrowed' Minami's sunglasses, and now she was using the built in receiver to listen in to the bug she'd planted on Minami earlier in the day.

"Any progress?" asked Minami hopefully.

"No more so than normal," said Haibara, donning a white lab coat and going over to a lab table. "Are you sure it's wise letting that guy stay on as Mouri-san's apprentice? What if he tries something again?"

"Well, he won't try anything on _you_ again in a hurry," said Minami. "Mom and I managed to allay his suspicions for the time being. I kind of…blackmailed Kid into helping."

"Right. The Blush Mermaid heist was the last time you saw him," said Haibara. Then she giggled in a very un-Haibara-ish way.

"What, Haibara?" asked Minami darkly. Ayumi noted the use of 'Haibara' again instead of 'Ai-chan' that Minami usually used.

"Oh, it's just that whenever you meet Kid again, I want to be there to see the look on his face."

"Here we go," said Minami, rolling her eyes. She still wasn't used to Haibara's random personality changes.

"What, _Sakura-san_?" asked Haibara innocently, although she was smirking evilly as she mixed various powders.

"Drop it, Haibara," said Minami warningly. "Or I'll impersonate Gin and call the _number_."

"You wouldn't _dare_," said Haibara, her tone going icy at once. She glared at Minami. "If you go for that phone, I _swear_ I'll tase you." She took her hands out of her pockets and took on a defensive stance.

"How can you tase me without a taser?" asked Minami curiously.

"I'm a biologist," said Haibara. "I'm very well aware of how the human body works, and how much force I need to apply on a pressure point to knock out an opponent. Or I could kick you in the head with some martial arts I learned in the Organization. Either way, I'll come out on top."

"Want a go, then?" asked Minami. As Conan, he would've called his bluff and backed off long before now, but now, as a girl, she couldn't back down from a challenge posed by a fellow girl, especially one that could threaten her so calmly.

"Bring in," said Haibara, tossing the lab coat into a chair. Ayumi watched through the window in amazement as the two girls circled each other like lions. Both brows were furrowed in concentration. Then, at almost the exact same time, they jumped at each other. The sound of the wrestling girls and the squealing drew Agasa to the basement in less than two minutes.

"Come on, break it up!" he said angrily, pulling them apart. He held Minami in one hand and Haibara in the other. Both stopped fighting at once. "Ai-kun, what's gotten into you lately?" he asked. "It's like you're a completely different person!"

"He started it," she said quietly. She dropped to the floor and began brushing dust off her clothes.

Agasa brought Minami up to eye level. Minami was squirming to be let down, but Agasa wasn't having any of that. "It's you, isn't it? Ever since you changed, you've been giving Ai-kun nothing but grief. I can't work on my inventions with you two arguing like girls down here! And today it's a catfight! Well, I've had it! You're not coming over here without the other kids along until Ai-kun gets that antidote made."

Ayumi realized that Agasa had carried Minami out of the room when she heard a door slam. Ayumi snuck out the back gate and went home, her young mind attempting to process all she'd overheard.

XXX

When Ayumi showed up at the Detective Agency, Ran knew at once something was up. She'd seen the look on Ayumi's face so many times in the mirror, she was _sure_ Ayumi would be talking about Conan. She was therefore surprised when Ayumi didn't.

"Minami-chan?" asked Ran in surprise. "What do you mean there's something 'not quite right'?"

"Minami-chan acts a _lot_ like Conan-kun is all," said Ayumi. "I don't really know how else to say it. Have _you_ ever seen a brother and sister act so much alike?"

"Conan-kun was like a mini-Shinichi," Ran remarked. "I guess I'm too used to Conan to recognize that she was acting so similarly."

"There's something else, too," said Ayumi, looking down at the floor. "I think Ai-chan likes Minami-chan more than me."

"I'd noticed that, too," said Ran. "That _is_ a bit mean to leave you out. How about I talk to them?"

But Ayumi shook her head. "Minami-chan and Ai-chan got in a fight earlier, so Hakase kicked Minami-chan out. I don't want to be mean to Ai-chan, but I want to stay friends with all both of them. Do you have any suggestions?"

Just then the door opened and Minami walked in, her eyes downcast. When she saw Ayumi and Ran, she suddenly wished she was somewhere else, _anywhere_ else. "Did you have fun with Ai-chan?" Ran asked suddenly, making Minami wince.

"We got in trouble for making too much noise," she said quietly, taking a seat on the couch beside Ayumi. "Where's occhan?" she asked.

"Either at mahjong or at the horse races," said Ran irritably. "I came home and found a note saying he was out."

Minami saw no importance in this information and turned to Ayumi. "So, what are you doing here, Ayumi-chan?"

"I came to return your sunglasses!" said Ayumi, taking them out of her pocket and giving them back. Then she got an evil thought. She leaned in close and whispered, "I, uh, _accidently_ turned them on half an hour ago. Did you know you left the bug in your pocket? Poor Ai-chan." Then she got up and headed for the door, waving at Ran and a white-faced Minami.

* * *

And it only gets better from here! Don't cross an angry girl. Need I say more? I've got a test tomorrow and I'm working Saturday so I dunno when I'll post the next chapter. It'll be within a week though. I PROMISE not to leave any more five month gaps. :P


	3. Blooming Suspicions

I had the afternoon off, so I popped out a new chapter. The humor just keeps flying. Beware a girl that is scorned. Just saying'. ;)

* * *

Chapter Three

Ayumi Yoshida was on the warpath. From the way Minami kept looking at her, Ayumi knew she'd overheard something good, if only she could figure out what it all meant.

On the bright side, Haibara and Minami had been spending less time together, so Ayumi decided to reinforce her stature.

"Yoshida-san!" Haibara exclaimed when Ayumi appeared on the doorstep of Agasa's house. "What are you doing here?" she asked, not seeing any of the other kids flanking her.

"Just visiting," she said happily, inviting herself inside. She took no notice of Haibara's protestations as she invited herself in and plopped herself down on the couch. "What do you want to do?" she asked, her feet waving in the air a foot above the floor.

Haibara was not enjoying the company. She'd been working on the APTX cure, but had been forced to open the front door because Agasa was out. "Yoshida-san, I can't play right now," she said as gently as she could. "Maybe you could come back later."

"Yeah, I know," said Ayumi, the smile slipping off her face. Her head tilted downwards until her bangs obscured her eyes. "You're always busy with stuff. You only trust Minami-chan to even _see_ what you're doing, or help out. I never said I wanted to play; I said I wanted to _hang out_. There's a difference."

Haibara sighed and, hoping she wasn't doing something foolish, asked, "Would you like to help me out with my research, Yoshida-san?"

"Oh, thank you Ai-chan!" Ayumi exclaimed happily. Haibara, rolling her eyes, led the way to her basement lab, which Ayumi had never actually been inside before. "Does Agasa-hakase give you experiments to do, or do you do them yourself?" Ayumi asked, taking Conan/Minami's usual chair by the door.

"It varies," Haibara shrugged, shutting the door and going back to her work. She fully expected the little girl to be a big talker, and was not disappointed.

"What are you doing, Ai-chan?" asked Ayumi curiously. "What's in the pill?"

"Poison," said Haibara, "so don't touch."

"What's in the glass jar, then?"

"Hydrochloric acid; it burns your skin."

"Why does that chart showing Conan-kun's heartbeat suddenly change to Minami-chan's?"

Haibara spun around in alarm, wondering just what the little girl was talking about. Ayumi was pointing to a file cabinet in a corner. Haibara went over to check it, but found nothing.

"What's an apoptoxin?" asked Ayumi suddenly, making Haibara lose her temper.

"Out!" she snapped, pointing to the door. "I can't concentrate unless you're QUIET!"

Ayumi shut up at once, and didn't say another word, so Haibara just went back to work without kicking her out. Ayumi spent the time thinking more about Minami.

'Ai-chan got really jumpy when I mentioned that chart,' thought Ayumi. She'd just made it up, but it had done its job. She knew the topic was sensitive. Best of all, she had seen what Haibara had been working on by standing on the chair. She had no idea what Apoptoxin 4869 was, but she knew it was probably important. The pill she'd asked about was also probably full of the stuff.

Ayumi eventually got bored and slipped out the door, where Haibara was very glad to see her go.

XXX

Mitsuhiko and Genta were playing video games at the arcade when Ayumi rushed in, bursting with news.

"What's going on, Ayumi-chan?" asked Mitsuhiko.

"Did you find a new restaurant?" asked Genta hopefully.

"It's Minami-chan!" Ayumi burst out. "I think she's actually Conan-kun!"

"What are you saying, Ayumi-chan?" they both laughed.

"Hey, I'm serious here!" Ayumi exclaimed, making them both crack up louder. "GUYS!" she said loudly, shutting them both up.

"What proof do you have?" asked Mitsuhiko, taking on a business-like tone and taking out his notebook.

"Well, I don't have any proof," said Ayumi, "but I can't do this alone. I need your help. Of course, we have to keep it a secret. _Especially_ Ai-chan. I think she's in on it."

"Haibara is?" asked Genta.

"That can't be!" said Mitsuhiko. "Haibara-san wouldn't keep secrets from us!"

"Did you know she does science experiments in Hakase's basement all by herself?" asked Ayumi.

"Well…"

"Did you know she makes _poison_?" she pressed.

"I move we make this into an investigation," said Mitsuhiko firmly. "Based on Ayumi-chan's testimony, we have to prove one way or the other that Minami-chan is who she claims to be."

"YEAH!" they all said, pumping their fists in the air.

"Now to formulate a plan…" said Mitsuhiko. "Let's go to the park so we can think."

XXX

The next day, Minami got an early awakening by three eager kids.

"What are you all doing here so early?" asked Minami irritably, hastily putting on a bathrobe.

"We had some trouble with our homework, so we thought we'd ask you for help," said Mitsuhiko. "Right guys?"

"RIGHT!"

"Fine, just let me get dressed," said Minami, heading back into Ran's room. Since she'd turned into a girl, Minami had moved into Ran's room despite the awkwardness to avoid any weird questions. The kids sat around the center table in the living room, discussing their next plan of action.

"You all remember what to do, right?" Mitsuhiko asked. "Ayumi-chan? Genta-kun?"

"I'm supposed to compare her handwriting to Conan-kun's!" said Ayumi.

"I'm going to ask her favorite foods," said Genta.

Then Minami came back in, dressed just like any other little girl about to head off for school. Joining them at the table, she asked, "So what's the problem?"

"I just can't seem to write these kanji correctly!" said Mitsuhiko, showing her his attempt (which he had faked since he knew perfectly well how to write it).

"All right," said Minami, taking a blank piece of paper and demonstrating. "First you make two strokes for the body, then you start working on the top. That's all there is to it."

"Me next!" said Genta, shoving Mitsuhiko aside. Ayumi was standing behind them, holding a paper she _knew_ Conan had written. She was stunned to find that while the writing style was the same, there were slight differences in the writing, like a daintier touch had been added to Minami's.

"What's your favorite type of curry?" asked Genta suddenly.

"Uh, plain, I guess?" Minami replied, finishing with the demonstration. "Now, I've got to get my things, so wait outside for me, will you?"

"Sure!" they said at once, and Minami couldn't help but smile at their childish antics.

On the way to school, they met up with Haibara, and the group split up, just like always, with the three real kids in the front and the two fake ones behind.

"I'd be wary," said Haibara.

"What?" asked Minami.

Haibara nodded at Ayumi. "She suspects. She came by alone yesterday and started poking around the lab."

"She knows too much," Minami agreed. She had my glasses the day we had the fight, and the bug was in my pocket. She let on to me that she'd overheard some of it, but we can't be sure what."

"Do you remember what we said?" Haibara asked in an undertone.

"Nothing too damaging, I don't think. If we had, she would've already put two and two together. Plus, she talked to Ran afterwards, and who knows what ideas they were discussing before I walked in."

"Well, we'll have to be careful. Those kids are more cunning than either of us would like to admit, not to mention they're annoyingly persistent about stuff. You want to try the phone trick?"

"Might as well," said Minami. "After school, we'll go to Hakase's. You'll excuse yourself and call my phone with Conan's old bowtie using Conan's voice. You've impersonated me before."

"We don't really have a choice, do we?" she said. "Just don't expect me to disguise as you again."

"I wasn't planning on it," Minami grinned.

"Speaking of impersonation, I think Hakase's been working on the voice-changing technology. I see him tinkering with something all the time, but he won't tell me. He has the bowtie disassembled to see the inner workings."

"Wait, if the bowtie is out of commission, then how will you do the voice disguise?"

"He's working with the white one. The red one is perfectly fine. Although if need be I could put the old mask over the phone receiver."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said Minami gloomily. She didn't want to lie to her friends any more than she wanted to lie to Ran. But until the Organization was destroyed, the secrecy was mandatory, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

It's about time I do something about the 'mystery' aspect, right? Well, how about something _other_ than a murder next chapter? Some crime that is fun to read and yet still ties into the story. Good luck guessing what it is. :D


	4. Cemented Friendship

If you're in the mood for Halloween, then here's a Halloween themed chapter. The next one or two will be, too. Consider it a bonus. Also, there's a cameo by a Magic Kaito character.

* * *

Chapter Four

That day after school, Minami and Ayumi were playing video games while Genta and Mitsuhiko watched, waiting hopefully for their turn. They disliked the fact that the game only had two players.

Haibara had excused herself early on. When the phone rang, none of the kids paid it any attention, so Agasa answered.

"Agasa residence," he said.

"It's me," said Haibara. "Put Kudo-kun on the line." She'd already told Agasa their plan, so he simply played along.

"Minami-kun, telephone!" he called. Minami paused the game and picked up the phone.

"Minami here," she said.

"Minami, it's Conan," said Haibara, mimicking Conan's voice with the bowtie.

"Ah, Conan-nii! How are you doing?"

"Pretty well. Mom misses you."

"Tell her I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."

"Is that Conan-kun?" asked Ayumi suddenly. She'd raced to the phone the moment she'd heard the word 'Conan'.

"Yeah. You want to talk?" Minami asked.

"Yes!" said Ayumi. Minami passed over the phone and sat back down on the couch. Everything went well at first, but then there was trouble. "Why do you suddenly sound like Ai-chan?" Ayumi asked. Minami started. She couldn't hear a word of what Haibara was saying, but it clearly wasn't good enough for Ayumi. "So I'm crazy, huh? You have no idea what I'm talking about? How about I march into the basement and prove it!"

Agasa sensed trouble, and he quickly walked out of the room, unnoticed by Ayumi. A minute later, Haibara emerged from the back and Ayumi shut up at once. "Who's that, Yoshida-san?" asked Haibara, joining Minami on the couch.

Ayumi didn't say a word. Then she asked, "Would you like to talk to Conan-kun, Ai-chan?"

XXX

"I thought we'd bought it," Minami remarked once the three kids had left. Once they were alone, Agasa made sure not to leave the room in case they did something again.

"That girl is smarter than I think any of us have realized," said Haibara. "The good part is that Hakase was able to fool her completely."

'The things they make me do…' Agasa thought to himself, making himself some coffee.

"Do you think it's safe again?" asked Minami.

"I'd give it two or three days. Girls take longer to fully drop a subject than guys, as I'm sure you're aware."

"Very," said Minami, remembering how often she'd had to listen to Ran and Sonoko chatter away about random stuff.

Suddenly the door burst open. Ran stood in the doorway, glaring at Minami. She instantly prepared to flee. "Minami-chan, Ayumi-chan just told me Conan-kun called."

"Uh, yeah, he did," said Minami. Both Haibara and Agasa had the sense to take refuge in another room. Minami waited for the outburst. "Well then _why_ didn't you tell him to call me? I've been worried!"

"He said he's doing fine, Ran-onessan," said Minami. "He apologized for not calling you, too. He said he couldn't bear hearing you cry because you thought you might never see him again."

That calmed Ran down. "He…was worried about _me_?" she asked, startled. "Well, that changes things. When he calls again, you tell him to call me whether he wants to or not! Now, you're coming home with me." Minami congratulated herself on such an excellent fib as Ran dragged her out of the house.

XXX

For the next several days, Minami took Haibara's advice. She made sure to not act like Conan in any way, including during cases. As Haibara had predicted, Ayumi became a lot friendlier and Minami resolved to hang out with her more often to prove it. She knew Haibara wouldn't care; Haibara rarely cared about anything.

That was how Minami got roped into a shopping trip with Ayumi. Ayumi wasn't nearly as fashion-conscious as Haibara, but Minami was still dreading it, although she understood its importance to preserving their friendship.

They met at Beika Station Friday night to head to the shopping district. Ayumi had a child-sized handbag with her, while Minami only had a wallet that could fit in her pocket. When they arrived at the shopping district, Ayumi made a beeline for a toy store.

"Do you think it would look good on me, Minami-chan?" Ayumi asked, holding up a princess costume.

"What do you need it for?" asked Minami. "Halloween is an American holiday, you know."

"You mean you don't know?" she asked, surprised. "Subaru-san is making the Edo house into a haunted house! It's for three nights at the end of October. They're supposed to have two costume contests a night, one for kids and one for the grownups. I figure if I go as a Princess, I'll be sure to win!"

"Is that the whole point of the shopping trip, then?" asked Minami.

"Of course! Don't you remember?"

"I thought you were joking," Minami lied.

"Well, now I've got a costume, we need to get you one. And Ai-chan asked us to get one for her, too. So let's go!" She dragged Minami around the shop, but the costumes were too childish for her. Ayumi paid for the princess costume and they decided to go search some other shops.

In one, they found a Gothic Maid costume. "This would look good on Ai-chan, right?" asked Minami cheekily.

"Uh, no," said Ayumi. "I wouldn't even wear that!"

"I was just joking," said Minami sulkily, putting it back on the rack. They eventually decided on a witch outfit, complete with kid-sized broom.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," said a silky voice suddenly, making both girls jump. They whirled around and saw a young woman watching them. What set her apart from the other customers was that she had purple hair and was wearing a midriff baring witch's outfit. She carried a broom over her shoulder.

'She's beautiful,' thought Minami, and she knew that if she was still Conan she'd be having a nosebleed.

"Why not, oneessan?" asked Ayumi.

"Neither of you are witch material," she said simply. "I should know, since I'm a witch myself."

"Oh, it's not for us, but for our friend," Ayumi clarified. "She's really quiet and creeps a lot of people out."

"Is that so?" asked the girl. "Well then, carry on! Oh ho ho ho!" She disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"She's even creepier," Minami whispered, and Ayumi agreed.

They quickly left the store with the witch outfit and began looking for something for Minami. After searching for a while, they settled on a Cordelia Gray outfit, which was made of various pieces of clothing from various stores. Satisfied, they went home.

Minami was pleased with the night's events. She had cemented her friendship with Ayumi, and she knew it would be much less likely for Ayumi to get suspicious of her again.

* * *

So Minami's been kept out of the loop and Haibara gets to dress up as a witch. How fitting is that? lol

Next up, the events leading up to the party, along with possibly a portion of it. Look forward to it, and expect a mystery!


	5. Halloween Party

So I decided to skip the prelude and get right to the party. This chapter's basically just a bunch of laughs, so I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter Five

"What's going on here?"

"Don't you like it? Shinichi's been gone for months, so I asked Subaru-san if he minded. He said it was fine."

"Are you hoping Shinichi-niisan is going to come back?" asked Minami.

"So what if I do? I'm not giving up hope!" said Ran hotly. "Who are you supposed to be, anyways?"

"Cordelia Gray," said Minami. "Pretty good, huh?"

"I just wish I could've been Marie Curie," came a voice from behind Minami.

"Oh, are you a witch, Ai-chan?" asked Ran kindly.

"_Un_fortunately," said Haibara, glaring at Minami, who had taken shelter behind Ran's legs.

"I'll just be leaving," said Minami quietly, slowly backing away.

"Great party, huh Minami-chan?" someone asked suddenly.

"Masumi-neesan!" said Minami, spinning around. She put on a fake smile and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Sonoko-san mentioned it in passing, so I thought I'd attend. Plus there was an ad on Kogoro-san's website."

'Ran…' Minami thought irritably. 'This is _my_ house you know!'

"Plus there's a TON of free food!" she finished happily, showing Minami a slice of cake. "I haven't seen that guy who lives here yet, though. I wonder where he could be?"

'Probably spending the night at Hakase's,' thought Minami, smirking slightly. Okiya wasn't really a 'people' person.

"Eek!" screeched someone from behind them. They spun around to see Ran running into the next room as fast as she could go. Sonoko was laughing hysterically, with some gaudy makeup that even creeped out Minami.

'This is what happens when you schedule a Halloween party when you're afraid of ghosts,' thought Minami irritably.

The party went pretty smoothly for the most part. Ran eventually had to take refuge upstairs to avoid Sonoko's teasing. Sera took the time to walk all over the house, investigating various aspects of it. Kogoro, on the other hand, was having a blast. The signs Ran had posted on the Teitan University campus had attracted quite a few of his fans, all of whom were pretty girls under the age of twenty. Without Ran to badger him, he was actually having a fun night for a change.

The three kids had invited half the class to attend as well, so there were a number of little kids running around. They kept trying to get the adults to play party games with them, like limbo, pin the tail on the donkey, and tag. It was quite an amusing sight to see Takagi and Shiratori, who had both been bribed into it, play musical chairs with a bunch of hyperactive six year olds.

Then the main attraction was announced. "Everyone!" Ran called through a megaphone, "Now it's time for the main attraction: the haunted maze! If I could have everyone participating gather in groups of five and go out the back, we can get started!"

"Are you going?" Minami asked Haibara.

"I'd rather not," said Haibara. "I have enough nightmares as it is."

"Eh? Ai-chan doesn't want to play?" asked Ayumi suddenly. "Even after we got you that cute witch costume?"

"I'll join you guys then!" said Sera.

"Sera-san will?" asked Mitsuhiko.

"Sure! It sounds like fun! Right, Minami-chan?"

"OK, Masumi-neechan!" said Minami, feigning happiness. In reality, she was wary of the tomboyish girl. "Who did you dress up as, anyways?"

"How rude! Can't you tell? I even did up my hair!"

Minami looked her up and down, but still didn't see what she was talking about. As far as she could see, Sera was dressed in a typical Teitan High uniform. The only odd thing was she was wearing pants instead of her usual skirt. "I don't see anything," said Minami, "unless you dressed up as a man again!"

Sera bent down until she was eye level with Minami. "You're kidding me, right?" she asked. "Fine; I dressed up as Shinichi-san. Can't you see the hairdo? It took thirty minutes to mess it up this much!"

"You're supposed to be Shinichi?" asked Ran, who had overheard.

"Why not?" asked Sera. "I'm a detective too, you know!"

"I'd be wary if I were you," Haibara whispered to Minami.

"Why?" asked Minami.

"No reason," said Haibara simply, walking away unconcernedly, a smirk etched across her face. Minami noticed that even though Haibara disliked the costume, she still carried the broom around.

"Come on, Minami-chan!" said Ayumi, tugging her outside.

The yard around the Kudo house had been completely transformed. A maze stood on all sides of the house, crisscrossing the walk several times. Minami instantly knew where Agasa had been all night and likely where Ran had gone, too. The groups started out at the back door, where they slowly made their way through the maze, out into the back street and over to Agasa's yard, then back through the front street and up to the front door. Minami was impressed by the setup.

Sonoko stood at the entrance, sending another group in after about a minute at a time. "You're going with the squirts, Sera-san?" she asked when the four kids and Sera approached the entrance.

"Sure! It'll be interesting!"

"Whatever," said Sonoko, rolling her eyes. "During the maze, you'll encounter trying to scare you sometimes. Your objective is to find ten stamps hidden in the maze and to find your way out. Partway through you'll get a bonus mystery to solve. The fastest person to solve it of ALL the groups will get a special prize."

"Piece of cake!" Sera grinned. "After all, I've got four bright detectives with me!"

"Oi, oi," thought Minami. "Seriously?" Sonoko waved them in, and all the outside sound got cut off instantly.

XXX

The first scare of the night came when a snake appeared in the path and scared Ayumi to death, deafening her friends. Mitsuhiko and Genta, seeing their chance, quickly shooed it away. "Find the stamp!" they shouted, searching all inches of the corridor.

"Guys, I don't think that was planned," said Minami, comforting Ayumi. "Let's keep moving."

The second scare was real. The wooden maze opened up into a small square, within which sat a skeleton.

"It's not real, is it?" asked Ayumi fearfully.

"BWAHAHAHA!" the skeleton laughed. The arm slowly raised up, holding a plastic gun. It pointed the gun at the kids, still laughing.

"WAHHH!" the kids screamed. They took off running into the maze without a glance back.

"Not bad," said Sera. "It's animatronic, just like those figures at Tropical Land. But now we've lost the kids."

"We'll meet back up," said Minami, stamping their card with the stamp at the skeleton's feet. Up ahead, they heard more screaming.

For the next twenty minutes, they continued walking through the maze, encountering more creepy stuff around practically every corner. After seeing a few more of Agasa's contraptions, Minami went back on her earlier prediction and predicted instead that they'd find the kids at the end, shivering in terror. The full moon hung far overhead, almost as if teasing them. When they encountered a fire-man, even Minami was impressed by the pyrotechnics Agasa had rigged, especially since no actual flames were involved.

The fifth scare was different. When they walked in, they saw a beautiful woman leaning against the far wall. They stopped short, and it was dead quiet apart from the screaming from other parts of the maze. "Welcome to the afterlife," said the woman, in a voice of melting honey. She opened her arms wide.

"Do you think it's a banshee?" asked Minami.

"This just keeps getting more interesting by the minute," said Sera.

The woman said nothing. She just smiled creepily. Then, with a distinctly masculine voice, she said, "You know, I'm getting hungry! How about a _snack_?" She ran at them, arms open wide, and both Minami and Sera did the only smart thing possible. They ran, Minami snatching up the stamp as they went.

"Good actress," said Sera. "That's the first one where someone dressed up rather than using a robot."

As they entered a long, narrow corridor, both girls wondered just what was coming next. Both were too mature to get scared, but they were both prone to getting creeped out. What they _didn't_ expect was for a man to come lumbering towards them, a tomahawk through his skull.

"They went a bit overboard with the blood," Sera remarked. "I wonder where they got the makeup to simulate the gray matter." That's when the man keeled over and dropped like a stone. The distinctive smell of blood permeated the air.

Sera bent over and checked his pulse. "He's dead," she said solemnly. "I'll look for the culprit; you call the Inspector." Sera dashed off down the wooden corridor while Minami pulled out her phone, the sight still flashing before her eyes.

XXX

"Tomahawk through the head. He died of severe brain trauma," said Megure. A portion of the maze had had to be removed to get access to the body and forensics was now hard at work. Takagi, Sato, and Shiratori were questioning witnesses.

"Now, which of you knew the victim?" asked Megure, indicating the party guests. Nobody spoke. "_None_ of you knew Kita-san? Well, we're investigating his acquaintances now, so it's only a matter of time. Until then, you all aren't going anywhere." He turned to the banshee. "You were operating the exhibit directly in front of the murder site. Did you see who he was with?"

"He was alone," said the banshee quietly. "He probably got separated from his group."

"Who's group was he in?" asked Megure. Again, there was silence.

"Hey!" said Kogoro loudly, picking Minami up by the shirt. "Don't go touching the crime scene!" He tossed her away into the grass."

"He won't let me go near it, either," said Sera. "What did you find?"

"Absolutely nothing; the crime scene must be further up."

"Well, let's take a look, shall we?" Sera said cheekily, winking at Minami. She didn't wait for an answer, instead opting to pick her up and carry her away.

"There's blood," said Minami, pointing at the ground. She hopped down and took a look. "It's just starting to dry."

"So the murderer threw the hatchet from over there," Sera indicated. "But where did they get it?"

"Let's take a look at the other exhibits," said Conan.

Ten minutes later, both knew exactly what had happened. However, there were some inconsistencies in their deduction. "By the way, how did you get so good at sleuthing?" asked Sera.

'Uh-oh,' Minami thought, panicking slightly. "Conan-nii taught me! He learned it from Shinichi-niisan!"

"Oh?" said Sera mysteriously. "You remember what to do, right?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," said Minami. "Let's do this."

* * *

So who's the killer? Well, feel free to guess, but I didn't really leave that many clues. You'll get Part 2 of the mystery tomorrow. Another thing: who's the banshee? Good luck guessing! :D


	6. The Test

This chapter is jam-packed full of cool stuff. You get the surprising outcome of the party, the identity of the banshee, and the beginning of a new segment of Minami's life! Nah, just kidding. She's just setting the framework now. Oh, and I changed the description a bit; see if you can spot it!

* * *

Chapter Six

"Megure-keibu," Sera said, tapping him on the shoulder.

"What is it?" asked Megure irritably.

"I've solved the mystery!" said Sera matter-of-factly.

"Really, Sera-kun?" asked Megure, forgetting his anger instantly.

"Yeah! Minami-chan and I figured it out. How about we explain it to you?"

"That was fast…" muttered Kogoro.

"Well you're the one who was busy talking with the women instead of paying attention," said the banshee.

"Anyways," said Sera, interrupting before Kogoro could retort, "this case was an accident."

"An accident?" asked Megure in surprise. "Are you forgetting the guy had an AXE through the head?"

"No, I'm not," said Sera. "The victim _did_ die from brain trauma, but it wasn't murder."

"Fine, then," said Megure. "Where did the axe come from if it was an accident?"

"That's where it gets weird!" Minami piped up. "Nobody here knew the victim, and yet he was murdered. The reason he was here in the first place was because…" She was suddenly interrupted by Megure's phone ringing.

"Megure here," he said, answering. "Is that true, Takagi-kun? All right, then." He hung up and told Sera and Minami, "The victim had a high blood-alcohol content, which would make sense he came from outside since alcohol wasn't served tonight.

"Yes, Inspector!" said Minami. "The victim was on his way home from a night of drinking when he found the outer wall to the maze. He climbed over the wall, but fell face first onto the axe a robot was holding. He managed to stumble down the path before dying."

"Is there any proof of this?" asked Megure.

"Sonoko-neesan, you were taking roll of everyone who went in right?" Minami asked.

"Yeah!" said Sonoko.

"Was Kita-san on it?"

"Uh," she flipped through the book, "no, he wasn't."

Sera finished, "which means that the victim did not come in through the entrance. However, the most conclusive proof is the fact that the robot up ahead is missing its axe. The arm is warped, indicating something fell on it.

"Go check it out!" Megure commanded some officers. They raced off before returning to confirm the evidence.

"How terrible!" Ran commented. "This is why you shouldn't drink, Dad!" she exclaimed, rounding on Kogoro.

"Hey, what did I do?" he asked fearfully. Ran rolled her eyes and didn't respond.

After the incident, the partygoers soon dispersed, leaving Ran, Sonoko, Sera, Agasa, and the kids to clean up. The banshee also assisted, although she still hadn't removed her makeup.

"Those robots were _scary_!" Ayumi said, picking up trash.

"No kidding!" said Genta. "I wish Kamen Yaiba had come with us!"

"Kamen Yaiba only defeats _real_ monsters," Mitsuhiko reminded.

"Where's Ai-chan?" asked Ayumi. "I haven't seen her for a while."

"I don't know," said Mitsuhiko, looking around. "It's not like Haibara-san to go missing like this. Maybe we should go look for her."

"How about we go find her, then?" asked Minami, polishing a newly cleaned tabletop. She dropped her rag and, grinning, walked over to the banshee, accompanied by the three kids. "I have to admit, I didn't really recognize you at first, obaachan."

The banshee looked around and glared at her. "What did you say?" she asked evilly.

"I said you had a good disguise, _onessan_," said Minami, backtracking at once. "How about you take off that disguise and quit worrying these three?"

"How long?" asked the banshee, ripping off the mask to reveal Haibara's face. The kids jumped in surprise.

"Since you backtalked occhan earlier. Only _you_ would say something like that."

"Did you grow up or something, Ai-chan?" asked Ayumi.

"She looks beautiful," Mitsuhiko muttered to himself. Genta elbowed him in the stomach.

"It's called an exoskeleton," said Haibara. She put her hands to the neck and opened up a hidden compartment, where her child-sized body was fully shown operating the controls. She reached up and pulled a gadget out of her mouth. "The voice-changing braces came in handy, though. All you have to do is put them in and you can talk in whatever voice you want." She offered it to Minami, but Minami took a step back for obvious reasons. "Your loss," said Haibara silkily, hopping down out of the suit.

"By the way, Ai-chan, what was the mystery?" asked Minami. Haibara glared at her before saying, "I don't know. Hakase kept saying something about an 'old friend' coming up to take care of it."

"Maybe it's a treasure map!" Genta exclaimed.

"That we would be awesome!" said Mitsuhiko.

"HEY!" said Ran suddenly, barging into their conversation. "There's still work to do and you all promised to help. Ai-chan, Hakase needs you to take the robot suit back next door." She walked away, her hair swishing from side to side.

"What's wrong with her?"asked Minami as the kids went back to picking up trash.

"She was hoping that having a party like this in your old house would make you come back," said Haibara. "After all, she's too scared of ghosts and monsters to want to do something like this on her own."

"So it was Hakase's idea?"

"Pretty much. Ran-san only went along with it when I suggested that it might bring you back. Kudo Shinichi I mean."

"I know what you mean," said Minami. "You mind if I give the suit a test run?"

"Go ahead," said Haibara, smirking.

The suit was much more difficult to manage than Minami had realized. After a lot of failures, she finally managed to lumber back outside. Up in the suit, it was almost like she was an adult again. If she wore a mask with her adult face and used the new voice changer, no one would be the wiser. Shinichi Kudo might be able to make an early appearance. However, she discarded the idea almost immediately. She knew that Ran would see through her almost immediately, and she didn't want to make Ran sad or, even worse, mad. Plus, she doubted Agasa would allow it.

"Oh, good," said Agasa when Minami lumbered awkwardly through the door. "If you'll just put that in the closet, you can help me with putting up all these extension cords." Agasa took up a robot of a pirate with a missing leg and dragged it away.

"Hakase?" asked Minami, walking into the room.

"Hmmm?" asked Agasa.

"Would it be possible for me to _keep_ the suit for a little while? It's just that I have so much power in this thing! I could make an entirely new life as a woman! I might even be able to be myself again, at least for a night."

"I…suppose that might be possible," said Agasa, thinking about it. "It would be nice to give the thing a test run. Ai-kun doesn't like it much, but I'm sure _you_ will be able to handle it responsibly. How about this: we'll start a three day trial run. I think I can manufacture a pretty good latex mask similar to the one I made Ai-kun depicting what you might look like in ten years."

"Not as Kudo Shinichi, then?" asked Minami.

"No," said Agasa. "That would cause too many problems. A three day visit by Kudo Sakura, however, would be a different story. Come by in a few days and I'll have everything done by then."

"What about the voice changer?" asked Minami.

"That's not a problem either," said Agasa. "I've been experimenting with your old bowtie and come up with something truly unique. The new voice changer disguises itself as clear retainers, with the mechanism itself on the roof of the mouth. You control the voice wirelessly via a remote. Of course, it's fully compatible with all your other gadgets."

"So _that's_ what Haibara had," said Minami.

"And you always say I invent junk," said Agasa proudly.

XXX

The next day, Agasa, Haibara, and Minami ironed out the details. To make the 'visit' seem realistic, Minami would be granted use of the suit for one week. Haibara would feign an illness so she could take Minami's place. Agasa had contacted a friend of his to make the mask, which was allegedly coming out pretty nicely.

The week before Day One, Minami took the suit to Beika Park for practice, including jogging, running around, and practicing soccer skills, closely watched by Agasa. Minami felt invincible in the lightweight suit. The metal frame was covered in a lightweight plastic to create the body exterior. Over the plastic was a latex layer the color of human skin. Under most scrutiny, it would appear entirely realistic, with just enough give in the plastic to mimic human tissue. It was attached to the underlying frame in the same locations where human bones normally approached the skin. The suit was electrically powered to make warm water flow between the layers, giving the illusion that the skin was warm from body heat. It was truly an engineering marvel.

'This is great!' thought Minami, running around and emulating karate moves she'd seen Ran doing. On top of everything else, the suit's strength was easily above that of any normal human. Minami demonstrated it by kicking a soccer ball around with the same amount of force as her Power-Kick Shoes. Minami grinned to herself as she easily balanced on one leg and performed a cartwheel. She was really starting to get the hang of this suit.

The night before Day One, Agasa gave Minami some final advice. "You're not only are you establishing an identity; you're testing out the suit. Every day, come back here and I'll run a diagnostic on it. If you ever run into any trouble, get away and call me at once. Make up an excuse to disappear and I'll bring you back here. Ai-kun will be you during the day, but at night you'll go back to the Detective Agency as yourself. Here's your mask; be careful not to tear it up; I've only got two more. Got it?"

"Sure Hakase!" said Minami.

"Then I hope you enjoy yourself, Shinichi," said Agasa, patting her on the shoulder.

* * *

A suit like the one I described should be feasible in real life, but don't hold me to it. But this is Conan, so if they can do ridiculous stunts in the movies, then I can come up with something cool like this.

Next up, I switch gears a bit. The focus is no longer on Ayumi, but on Ran and Sera. What's going to happen now?


	7. Sakura Getting Acquainted

Due to my increased standards on chapter length, I actually finished this part of the story last chapter. Instead of just leaving it, though, I decided to go a bit farther and give a sneak peek of Sakura Kudo. As I'm a guy, if any girls want to give me some pointers on how to write the characters, feel free to do so.

* * *

Chapter Seven

Even Haibara was impressed when Sakura Kudo put on the mask and wig and stood before them, grinning. She looked to be a thin Japanese teenage girl with long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. "How do I look?" she grinned.

"Beautiful…" Haibara whispered to herself unconsciously.

"Well, of course!" said Sakura, still grinning. "The suit's been specifically tailored to look that way!" Her voice was so melodious that even Agasa found himself blushing.

"I'm worried that your _real_ adult appearance might look different," said Agasa worriedly, catching himself.

"Don't worry about that Hakase," said Sakura. "All three of us worked on the disguise. The only thing that might not be realistic is the voice, but if I make my _real_ debut after a few months or so, they won't even notice."

"You're as carefree as a normal teen," Agasa noted.

"I have to get into my role, don't I?" Sakura asked, heading for the front door. "You ready, Haibara?"

"Whatever," Haibara shrugged, putting on the Minami mask and wig and following her out.

XXX

Ran Mouri was out with Sonoko and Sera for a day of fun. They had practically forced Sera to attend, but now all three were fully enjoying themselves. The place they went was Tropical Land, a place that was, for Ran, full of bad memories. Nevertheless, they all managed to have fun on their Girls' Day Out.

"I told you it was great, Sera-san!" Ran remarked as they sat down for lunch.

"It's sort of like Disney World," Sera agreed.

"I wouldn't mind going there," said Sonoko dreamily. "But I just can't seem to find the time! Our school year is so different from the American schools that there wouldn't be any guys our age in the park when I was looking for them!"

"Sonoko…" said Ran, before giving up and laughing at her friend's antics. Sera looked between them in surprise. Then there was a scream from nearby.

"Stop that thief!" a woman screamed, pointing after a purse snatcher, who was taking no chances on getting caught and was making a break for the park entrance.

Ran and Sera nodded at each other silently, before simultaneously getting up and giving chase. "Why does this always happen?" Sonoko asked herself.

"Get him!" Ran yelled loudly, alerting many passersby to the presence of the thief, although no one did anything. Well, one person did something. Out of nowhere, a teenage girl tripped the thief and sat on him until Ran and Sera arrived, breathing heavily.

"Is this what you wanted?" Sakura asked, holding out the purse.

"Shinichi?" Ran asked at once, stunned by the facial similarities. Sera took the purse since Ran had stopped moving.

"You must be Ran-san," said Sakura, getting off the perp and handing him over to security.

"You know her?" Sera asked suspiciously.

"Oh, of course. Shinichi speaks highly of her."

"How do you know Shinichi?" Ran asked, fired up.

"Take it easy!" said Sakura, pretending to be surprised by her attitude. "We're cousins."

Ran stopped. "You two are related?"

"I thought it was obvious," Sakura shrugged. "I'm Kudo Sakura-desu," she offered her hand to Ran, who took it hesitantly. "Are you a friend of hers?" Sakura asked Sera, who looked stunned.

"Well, yes," said Sera, stuttering uncharacteristically. "Shouldn't we return the purse? We're drawing a crowd."

"Oh, of course," said Ran, leading the way.

XXX

"No way!" Sonoko exclaimed when she heard the news. The four of them were walking through the park to find something else to do. Sonoko had been just as shocked at Sakura's appearance as the rest of them.

"You don't have much of a Hokkaido accent," remarked Sera, gazing around at some of the rides with a blank look.

"I've only lived there for a couple of years," said Sakura, sticking with the fabricated story. "Before that I lived near Tokyo."

"But how come we haven't seen you before?" Sonoko pressed.

"I keep to myself," she shrugged, not really answering the question. Sera's brow furrowed.

"What about Shinichi?" asked Ran. "Do you talk to him often?"

"About as much as you do, I guess. He never says anything about what he's doing, so I decided to try and find him. That's why I was here at Tropical Land; it was the last time he was seen in public."

"REALLY?" Ran asked, stopping and gripping Sakura's shirt. "Do you think I can help?"

'Probably should've worded that differently,' Sakura thought in horror. "I appreciate the thought, but I prefer to work alone. I'll let you know if I find anything, OK?"

"I…I see," Ran said quietly. Sonoko glared at Sakura, but uncharacteristically didn't say anything.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sakura whispered to Sera.

"Yep," said Sera bluntly. "You do realize that the relationship between Ran-san and Kudo-kun goes beyond friendship right?"

"I told you Shinichi never tells me anything. How long?"

"Well, it's not _exactly_ that way. All I know is that there was some sort of confession a while ago by Kudo-kun. Ran-chan and Sonoko-chan have been talking about it ever since. But why are you talking to me about it?"

"I figure I should give them some space to calm down. We're all women, so you understand, don't you Masumi-chan?"

"Oh, sure," said Sera. Sakura drifted away, leaving Sera alone. Sera could tell something was up with the Kudo girl. For one, she seemed _very_ familiar. For another, her story seemed a bit unbelievable. The final thing, the most glaring, was that Sakura had instantly identified her as a girl. She'd taken grief for years about how tomboyish she was, and her small bust and lack of interest in girly clothes didn't help much. Therefore she was genuinely shocked that Sakura had known she was a girl since Ran and Sonoko had both called her 'Sera-san'. She still remembered how the _Kaitou Kid_ of all people had even messed that up. So how did this girl _not _screw that up?

XXX

"Oh, look who's back," Kogoro grumbled as the four girls walked into the Agency. "Keep all the nail polish, glitter, and skimpy clothes in the bags until…" His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Sakura. He jumped up and made a dash for the rear bathroom, which had been nicely refitted so it wouldn't remind them of the murder in the toilet a while back.

"Don't mind Dad," Ran told Sakura. "He does this for every pretty woman _except_ Mom."

"Sakura-neesan!" a small, girly voice said suddenly. A small girl's face appeared over the back of the nearest couch.

"Minami-chan!" said Sakura, waving. She strode forward and crouched down until they were at eye level with each other. "Long time no see!"

The other three girls were stunned. "Don't they look a bit alike?" Sonoko whispered to Ran.

"They look like sisters," said Ran, grinning.

'I still think there's something strange going on,' Sera thought.

Kogoro burst out of the bathroom dressed as nicely as he could pull off with only a minute to do so. "May I help you?" he asked politely, picking Minami up by the back of the shirt and giving her to Ran. He motioned for her to sit down.

"Oh, I'm not a client," said Sakura patiently. "I'm just visiting with my new friends."

"It can't be…" said Kogoro, his head sagging. He sat back down behind his desk and picked up his newspaper again. Minami started squirming to be let down, which Ran did at once.

"Sakura-neesan, let's go play!" said Minami, grabbing Sakura by the hand and dragging her away.

Once they were upstairs, Haibara popped out the voice-changing braces and said, "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ran-san. She doesn't want to look at you. What did you do?"

"She caught me off guard and I had to hastily come up with an excuse. She, uh, didn't really like it."

"Well, you've got six days to fix it, so you'd better get started," she said simply, popping the braces back in and walking back downstairs.

When Sakura had gone back downstairs, Sonoko and Sera had already excused themselves and left.

"Ran-san?" Sakura asked. Ran looked around and Sakura said, "I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't fully understand the situation."

"So I can help?" Ran asked hopefully.

"Well, if your Dad agrees, then I can't really say no, can I?"

Ran smiled. "Thank you, Sakura-chan," she said quietly.

"Agree to what?" Kogoro asked as Sakura left, taking out his earpiece.

XXX

Sakura, left with nothing to do, decided to just turn in the suit for the night. The bad part of that plan was that Sera had waited at the bottom of the stairs for her.

"Something on your mind?" Sakura asked when she saw her waiting.

"Not much. May I walk with you?"

"By all means," said Sakura, shrugging.

"I just had a quick question," Sera began. "How did you know I was a girl?"

"Uh, cause you are," said Sakura, slowly realizing where Sera was going. "Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"Well, it's just _weird_. I think you're the _only_ person I've ever met that didn't think I was a guy at first glance."

"I admit you look like a guy, but no guy gets as emotional over some of the stuff you do. I realized that at once earlier. You wouldn't expect a guy and a girl to run at similar paces with the same amount of emotion filling their faces."

"You're observant," Sera remarked.

"It comes with the trade; I'm a detective. So are you, if I heard right."

"Wait, you're a detective?"

"You sound surprised."

They rounded a corner and came across a crime scene. The front of an office building was taped off. Up ahead, Detectives Takagi and Sato were getting out of Sato's car and heading inside.

"How convenient," said Sera. "We're both detectives, so how about we see who can solve the mystery first?"

'Not another contest,' Sakura thought. "Sure!" she told Sera, keeping in character. Smirking, Sera walked right up to the yellow tape and called out to Takagi.

* * *

I think Sera's my second favorite character after Haibara. She's so much more interesting to write about than the 'regulars'. She's better than Eisuke anyway. :D So we've got some girl-bonding opportunities coming up as well as problems. Not to mention a crazy crime. Look forward to it!

FYI I submitted a new picture of Minami to my Deviantart account. My username there is CoolKid194. If you're intrigued, feel free to check it out. And if you want to draw anything from my stories, like Minami, the Banshee, or anything else I made up, then feel free to do so. Just let me know first and you can do whatever you want. ;)


	8. The Locked Room in the Sky

I think I thought up a pretty interesting case this time. The trick's pretty cool, anyways. Plus, the two girls solve it like it's nothing, even lampshading on the sheer absurdity of it. It's a tribute to the ridiculousness of modern AO episodes. The entire case is solved this chapter, so don't worry about cliffhangers or anything.

* * *

Chapter Eight

"Takagi-kun, pick up your jaw," said Sato sternly. Takagi jumped and looked embarrassed. Sakura rolled her eyes. They were inside a small office on the fourth floor. The company president lay dead on the floor. A gun equipped with a silencer had been found in his hand.

"It was a murder," said Sakura and Sera unanimously.

"There aren't any burn marks on his head," said Sakura, "so it was clearly a homicide."

"Who found the body?" asked Sera.

Takagi and Sato looked between them in complete shock. "Who are you?" Sato asked Sakura.

"Kudo Sakura-desu," said Sakura, bowing slightly. "I'm a detective."

"Friend of yours?" Takagi asked Sera.

"In a way," Sera shrugged. "Now, who found the body?"

"His secretary," said Takagi, pulling out his notebook. "She grew worried when after all the employees left she couldn't contact him on the phone, so she let herself in with a spare key. She found _this_ and alerted the police."

"Then we should try to talk with her," said Sakura, bending over to examine the corpse. She reached out to check the time of death, but realized that she wouldn't be able to conduct a thorough examination without being able to physically _touch_ the body. "Masumi-chan, what would you say the estimated time of death is?"

"About two hours ago," said Sera, examining the body.

"What time did the employees leave?" asked Sakura.

"About three hours ago," said Sato. "The secretary was the last one out and is the _only_ one with the key to this office other than the president."

"You're well-informed," said Sera, examining the room.

"We just got back from interrogating the suspects," said Takagi.

"You left the body alone?" Sakura asked.

"We can't move the body out until forensics is done checking for signs of forced entry."

Sakura and Sera looked at each other, as if mentally communicating. Sakura then went to the window behind the president's desk and opened the curtains. She opened the window and poked her head out, looking up and then down. Then she examined the windowsill. Meanwhile, Sera was examining the main part of the room. She went out into the hallway, took a look around, and came back. "Does the secretary have an alibi?" Sera asked.

"Yes; she was with her boyfriend, who has never even met her boss."

"Do any of the suspects have a license to operate a Cessna?" Sakura asked, closing the window.

"There _was_ one…" said Sato thoughtfully. Sakura and Sera looked at each other and a mutual understanding passed between them. They both grinned in understanding.

"Then bring all the suspects here," said Sera. "Sakura-san, are you into dumpster diving?"

"Why me?" asked Sakura at once.

"Because you're the one that looked outside!" said Sera, grinning.

Sakura, mumbling to herself irritably, headed for the door. Then she turned around and looked at Sera. "If I have to retrieve the evidence, then _you're_ demonstrating the trick." She walked out grinning, fully aware of the look of dawning horror on Sera's face.

Thirty minutes later, the four suspects stood before Sakura and the two officers. There were three men, one thin, one fat, and one buff, along with one woman, the secretary. "Are you sure about this, Sakura-san?" asked Takagi.

"Definitely," she said at once.

"What's the meaning of this?" asked the buff man irritably.

"That's right!" exclaimed the fat man. "We've told the cops all we know!"

"Oh, I seriously doubt that," said Sakura, leaning casually against a table. "This crime is actually pretty simple. The culprit, instead of coming in through the front door, came in through the window. The culprit both entered and exited via the window. According to your own testimonies, the window in this office is never locked because there would normally be no way to get in or out. The culprit used this to their advantage."

"How did they do it, then?" asked the buff man.

"They jumped from the top of the building, landed on the window ledge, and came in that way. Then they jumped out and landed in the dumpster."

"Impossible!" exclaimed the thin man. "How could you possibly do that?"

"How about we demonstrate, then?" Sakura pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and said, "We're ready." There was some unintelligible muttering from the other end before Sakura hung up. "You all should probably stay away from the window," she told the suspects. They took the hint and walked to the other side of the desk.

They stood there for a few seconds before a shape dropped down outside the window. It clung to the ledge before swinging itself up and opening the sliding window. There were gasps of shock as Sera stepped inside. She mimed firing a pistol before saying, "There's the proof that the trick works."

"Sera-san, what are you wearing?" asked Sato.

"The culprit's own flight suit," said Sera, holding up her arms to show the plastic 'membranes' under her arms that provided the air resistance. Pointing to her waist, she continued, "We also used the culprit's own rope."

"Rope?" asked the fat man.

"Right," said Sera, untying it and showing him. "The method was simple. First you attach the rope to the roof's guardrail with a slipknot before wrapping the rope around and around the bar. Once the rope is secured, you tie the other end to yourself, after donning the suit of course. Then you jump off, using the suit to glide down and the rope so you won't fly away. After committing the crime, you jumped back out and used the dumpster as a cushion. A slight tug on the rope made it come down. You then hid both the rope and the suit under some of the trash in the dumpster before leaving."

"Of course," said Sakura, "the only person capable of committing the crime is _you_!" she pointed at the thin man.

"Now see here!" he burst out. "Why are you implicating me for this atrocious crime? You have no proof!"

"This flight suit is the perfect proof. Traces of gunpowder were found on it. There is also DNA evidence remaining of the last person to have worn it. Guess whose DNA it matched?"

Then thin man looked down as if planning something. Sato's phone rang, breaking up the awkward standoff. "Is that so? And you double-checked? Thank you." She hung up and turned to the girls. "You two were right," she admitted. "The lab results came back positive, just like you said. Chiba even found an eyewitness."

"What proof is that?" asked Takagi.

"The DNA and gunpowder evidence in the flight suit," said Sato.

The man collapsed to the ground. "How did you know?"

"It was simple," said Sakura. "There's a security camera at the firm's entrance, so we knew it wasn't likely the criminal would come from there. When I realized that the window wasn't locked, I re-examined the layout of the crime scene and determined that the culprit had come from the window."

"However, none of you owns any rooms above here," said Sera. "That meant you had to have come from the roof. You obviously couldn't retreat back to the roof using a rope due to the sheer strength required, so you must have dropped to the ground."

The thin man stayed quiet for a moment before finally saying, "That man…killed my girlfriend. It was eight months ago. My girl had just been laid off and was drinking in a bar when that man walked in. He flirted with her and got her so drunk she couldn't even stand. Then he paid the bartender to look the other way as she got in her car to go home. The rest you can guess. I found out about this when another patron of the bar came clean at the funeral. I was so mad I decided to join the instigator's company to take revenge and today, I finally carried it out!" He began laughing maniacally, and it only stopped when Takagi and Sato led him away in cuffs.

XXX

"You're good," Sera remarked as they left the building.

"It was a simple case," Sakura shrugged. "Who skydives off the top of a building to get in a window anyways?"

"You're telling me. It wouldn't be worth the risk. You easily won the contest."

"_You_ told me about the security cameras and the fact there was no evidence of a trick in the room."

"But _you_ put the evidence together. You didn't even have to look at the security camera. You're good, Sakura-chan."

"Thank you. So what did you want to talk about before we got interrupted?"

"I think all my other questions got answered," Sera admitted. "I guess we'll meet again soon, huh?"

"Sure!" said Sakura. She was still wary of the tomboy, but knew that having Sera on her side was much better than the alternative. She waved after Sera as she walked away.

XXX

Sera was just as good an actress as Sakura. The case, rather than answering her questions, had simply added more. She knew there was something up with Sakura. It was something in the way she held herself, almost as if she was hiding something.

'Maybe it's not my business, but Sakura-san's secret just _may_ relate to the true reason I'm here,' Sera thought, following Sakura at a safe distance. She knew that successfully tailing Sakura would be a major challenge. After all, Sakura was about at her level in regards to detective work. She still didn't understand why Sakura couldn't perform an examination of the body, either.

As they walked, Sakura made a phone call, one that Sera couldn't hear. Twice she had to dive out of sight when Sakura whirled around suspiciously. Then Sakura turned into a yard and went into a house. 'Agasa-hakase's house,' Sera noted. 'Maybe she's bunking there or something.'

"You shouldn't eavesdrop, you know," said a voice beside her, making her jump out of her skin.

"Haibara-san!" she exclaimed. "I was just looking for Minami-chan!"

"Is that so?" she said shortly, tucking a strand of hair into her baseball cap.

"You went shopping, then?" Sera asked, noticing she was carrying a plastic bag.

"Is that illegal?" asked Haibara, heading for the gate. "Now go away before the neighbors mistake you for a prowler."

'Rude…' thought Sera irritably. "How about I come inside with you, then?" she asked, pretending to not take the hint.

Haibara was spared from answering by the front door opening and Minami coming out. "You're leaving?" Haibara asked.

"Yep! Ran-neesan wants me to head home. She said something about an argument with occhan."

'I know what that's about,' Sera thought to herself.

"All of you go, then," said Haibara, waving them away and shutting the door with a snap.

"Maybe you can come with me and play peacemaker," said Minami, shutting the gate behind her and walking down the road.

As interested as Sera was in both Minami and now Sakura, she had no intention of getting into any fights. "I think I'll let you take care of it, Minami-chan," Sera told her. "See you later!"

'Why couldn't she have done that the first time?' Minami thought irritably as Sera rounded the corner. Luckily for her, Sera actually _did_ go home this time.

* * *

I've got some ideas about how to keep this half of the story going. I don't know if I'll send her to school or not, but I have the perfect scenario for the finale.

It's getting closer to the end of term, so I'm finding less and less time to update. Anybody who's ever been to college should understand.

Finally, I would appreciate some feedback. Anything other than trolls are OK. Just let me know you guys are still reading, OK? :D


	9. The Swimming Kogoro

Now we're getting into Sakura's week as an adult. I've got more notes at the end, but just know that being a girl means that Sakura acts like a girl. Confused? Then read on.

* * *

Chapter Nine

Since the high school only had three days of classes that week due to a celebration, Sakura decided it wasn't worth enrolling for just three days before disappearing again. She _did_ attend the celebrations, though. Just like the Festival a few months earlier, the celebrations of the school's anniversary took place in the schoolyard and the surrounding buildings.

"How can you stand to have more than one big festival in a semester?" Sera asked as she and the other three walked through the booths to set up.

"We just have to study extra hard to make up for it!" Sonoko exclaimed, clapping Sera on the back.

'Like you ever do any studying,' Sakura thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Ran-onessan!" a voice called out. Sakura looked around and a look of horror passed across her face. The Detective Boys, with Haibara disguised as Minami, were approaching.

"You invited the pipsqueaks?" Sonoko asked rudely.

"Isn't that all right?" Ran asked. "They'll like the stuff too, you know."

"I'm going to set up," said Sonoko, slinging her bag over her shoulder and walking off.

"Who's that?" Ayumi asked, pointing at Sakura.

"Oh, this is Kudo Sakura, Shinichi's cousin."

"Oh, your boyfriend's cousin?" Genta teased.

"It's not like that!" Ran burst out, her face lighting up.

"Conan-kun must have lied, then," said Mitsuhiko.

"What did he lie about?" Ran asked, bending over.

"About what happened in London!" Ayumi finished.

"What _did_ happen, anyways?" Sera asked Ran. "I've never gotten a straight answer out of you."

Ran shook her head and muttered "Love is 0" under her breath before walking away humming.

"What happened?" Ayumi asked.

"Her face was red," Mitsuhiko deduced. "She must have sunstroke."

"Oh, a sunfish?" Genta asked. "Those are good in cream sauce!"

"If she had sunstroke, she'd be passed out," Haibara interjected.

"Is that so," said Mitsuhiko.

"You sounded just like Ai-chan!" Ayumi shouted.

"This is getting us nowhere," Sakura whispered to Sera as the kids continued to chat.

"What do you mean? You come to a celebration like this to be entertained and that's what the kids are providing."

"You're weird," said Sakura, wandering away.

"I get that a lot!" Sera waved back.

XXX

Sakura eventually ended up next to Kogoro, who was smoking near the entrance. He wasn't leering at the students, which was odd for him, but Sakura knew that even Kogoro Mouri wouldn't try for someone underage.

"Go away," said Kogoro at once when Sakura stopped near him. "The fangirls might think you're my girlfriend or something."

"You don't have to be rude about it," Sakura flounced in a very girly way. She pulled out her ponytail and set about redoing it. "Why are you here, anyways? The celebratory carnival doesn't open for another half hour."

"Ran asked me to come," said Kogoro, stamping out his spent cigarette. "She said something about me being in front of a crowd. Who can pass that up? After all, a great detective such as myself has an image to maintain! Bwa ha ha ha!"

Sakura was too used to Kogoro's obnoxious laughing to pay it any attention. "Dad!" Ran called out, breaking the spell.

"Are you finally ready for me to set up?" Kogoro asked, turning.

"Of course! Come on Dad!" Ran tugged Kogoro away towards the gym and Sakura, sighing, walked around, bored.

When the carnival opened thirty minutes later, Sakura's mood changed. People from all over Beika had shown up, many of whom she had known as both Shinichi and Conan. She relished her anonymity, but was at the same time put out that none of them recognized her. She took refuge at the soccer fields, where the soccer team had set up a 'kick-off' or sorts. The event was simple; all you had to do was dribble a ball around a bunch of obstacles, including orange cones, members of the soccer team, and removable terrain before scoring a goal.

Sakura patiently waited in line for her turn. She was pleased to see her old classmate Nakamichi was manning the sign-in sheet. "Just write your name, age, and sign it," he told Sakura. "Are you aware that you will likely sustain physical injury while playing?"

"It's soccer; that's kind of to be expected," said Sakura, putting the pen down.

"Then go to lane 3," said Nakamichi, pointing at the specified area of the field.

Sakura took her position and took in all aspects of the course, including the human players. She had a distinct advantage over most of the other visitors since she had worked with her opponents during training before. Therefore she knew their strengths, weaknesses, and their preferred tactics. When the whistle blew, she immediately started dribbling the ball towards the first cones. A player made a move to intercept the ball, but she moved it out of his way at the last second, making him trip and fall to the ground. She sensed an immediate change in attitude amongst the four other players.

'They're testing me,' she realized. 'They go easy at first and only amp up their playing if the visitor is sufficiently skilled enough to handle it. Well, let's see how they fare against _me_!' She began dribbling the ball again, playing offensively. She smoothly kicked the ball around and over some cones, bounced the ball off her knees for show, and eventually bounced it off her head for a full minute before dropping it to the ground and kicking it towards the goal. There was no goalie, but the ball hit the rim of a fake hill and rolled backwards. The five players formed a wall between her and the goal to prevent her from trying again.

"You're good," one remarked.

"And you're playing unfairly. I don't have a team, so I can't pass the ball. You guys are blocking me. Are you guys afraid of getting your butts handed to you by a girl or something?" They didn't answer, so Sakura just shrugged. Then she casually kicked the ball with the side of her foot. It arced up and over the outstretched hands of the players before coming down in the net. The five guys looked at the ball, then looked at her with a look of wonder. "What? I just completed the course."

"That was…" one started.

"Kudo's style," another finished.

"Well of course it is! He taught me, after all!"

The reaction was immediate. "Oh, so you're Kudo's _girlfriend_?" they asked, surrounding her.

"His _cousin_," she corrected. "Now, is there a prize or something?"

"If nobody else does better than you, then you'll get recognized during the awards ceremony later. You'll get a trophy and…"

"Oi, don't tell her!" Nakamichi said, striding up. "You guys are blocking other customers! Now put everything back together!"

'These guys will never change,' said Sakura, smirking to herself.

XXX

Sakura didn't think that anything could top the soccer tournament, but she was wrong. Ducking into the gym for some relief, she saw a very interesting sight. Instead of a play, the stage now featured a dunk tank. The platform was occupied by Kogoro Mouri, shouting as much encouragement as possible to the people on the floor. The two people were wrestling sumo style inside a ring of spectators. Wondering what was going on, Sakura looked at the signage. It read: 'Win the sumo match and dunk a celebrity!' A warning message about personal injury was also included.

Sakura joined the crowd at the edge of the rope and surveyed what was going on. A member of the school sumo team was pushing paying visitors out of the sumo ring was alarming frequency. Most customers went out immediately while a select few took a few seconds longer. Sakura would've dismissed participating, but then she remembered that she was in a metal bodysuit with increased strength and resilience. Smirking, she joined the line.

"You're going to try, Sakura-chan?" Ran asked when Sakura reached the front of the line.

"It couldn't hurt," said Sakura, taking the sign-in from Ran and filling out the information. "Besides, a womanizer like your dad needs a good dunking to keep him in line. How'd you get him to cooperate anyways?"

"I implied that Okino Yoko-san might be stopping by. He practically _volunteered_ to be the highest person in the room."

"What'll you do if he gets dunked?"

"I've got a couple of stand-ins ready," said Ran evilly. "Now, good luck in there!" She patted Sakura on the shoulder and let her in.

Compared to her overweight opponent, Sakura looked tiny. She took off her jacket and gave it to Ran so she wouldn't soil it with sweat should the event arise, or at least that's what the audience thought; she didn't really _need_ to. She took her position in the middle of the ring; both she and her opponent locked eyes.

"GO!" Sonoko said loudly, blowing a whistle. Sakura quickly sidestepped as the guy lunged for her. When he staggered, she took full advantage of her mechanical strength by grabbing the fat guy around the waist and shoving him out. Halfway across, he broke her grip and the two slowly sidestepped around each other, looking for an opening.

"Don't let her get you!" Kogoro yelled in encouragement. Sakura seized the distraction to attack, but was too slow. She frantically tried to free herself as she was slowly shoved across the ring. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged, making him wheeze and let go. Sakura strafed him and with a humungous shove, pushed him right out of the ring.

There was stunned silence. Then cheering broke out. The wrestler shook himself and stared at her before walking away. Ran gave Sakura five bean bags and directed her towards the stage.

"Please, have mercy," Kogoro pleaded, gripping the plank so hard his knuckles turned white. Sakura grinned, before putting four of the bean bags down and beginning to dribble the last one like a hacky sack. Then she kicked it at the target with all the force she could muster, grinning like mad. No one heard the bean bag explode from the force over Kogoro's yelling and the immense splash that followed.

That was when an immense sheet of Plexiglas fell from the ceiling, covering the tank and preventing Kogoro's escape.

* * *

I think we've all wanted to trap Kogoro in a tank at some point. XD

OK, so explanations for those who are interested. The 'adult suit' as I call it is made of a metal frame, so Sakura has immense strength, comparable to a robot or something. Maybe I'll give her a rematch later on where she gets her axx handed to her after she turns normal for real. :D Or maybe not. It'll make people suspicious, though. The end of this story will, too. No spoilers, but I know EXACTLY what's going to happen. Here's a hint: what'll happen to the robot suit if I leave it alone? After all, Conan's version of Tokyo is full of murders, thefts, and greedy people.

I'll let you think on that for now. ;)


	10. Conspiracy

I've had the first part of this chapter done for a while, but life took over and I was too busy to finish it. I sincerely apologize for the wait, but I'm actually going to finish this story before the month is out, hopefully. I appreciate the reviews, more than I probably should. :P Anyways, I put in a lot of thought trying to make this chapter long, interesting, and fun. Not only do you get the conclusion from the last chapter, but I went ahead and started up the finale. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as you've enjoyed all the others! :D

* * *

Chapter Ten

"Hold on, Dad!" Ran shouted, running forward and attempting to pry off the Plexiglas. However, it proved an impossible task with just her strength alone. Inside, Kogoro was panicking due to a lack of air. Sera raced forward and tried to help out, but she couldn't do anything, either. The pounding on the glass from the inside continued.

"We have to help!" Sakura shouted to the room at large. She ran for the dunk tank, beckoning at the crowd. Soon she was leading a procession of students and visitors alike. They all heaved on the sheet covering the tank and it slowly rose.

"I'm saved!" Kogoro shouted, jumping out of the tank as soon as he could. The rescuers dropped the glass and formed a circle around Kogoro, who was curled in a ball and looking scared to death, taking in great gulps of air.

"What an unfortunate accident," said Sonoko. "Occhan might have been killed!"

"What accident?" asked Sera, pointing at the glass. "You see how the ropes holding the Plexiglas have all been cut? This was an obvious attempt at murder!"

"She did it!" Kogoro spat, pointing at Sakura. "There's no way a skinny girl like her could've won against the sumo champ!"

"I don't think that's possible," said Sera, "but until we can prove it wasn't you, Sakura-chan, you'll have to stay under guard. Ran-chan, guard her while I investigate. Sonoko-chan, call the police and then take care of Mouri-tantei. Everybody else, DON'T leave the room. Anybody who leaves will be considered an automatic suspect." The crowd muttered irritably, but nobody made for the door.

"Just what I need," thought Sakura, rolling her eyes as everybody set about doing the tasks they'd been assigned. Sakura wanted to investigate, but she knew that anything she did would look suspicious.

"You have a habit of getting into trouble," a young voice piped up suddenly. Sakura and Ran both looked towards the sound to find Minami/Haibara looking at them, arms folded.

"Sorry about that," said Sakura, rubbing the back of her head.

"That was incredible, though, Sakura-oneesan!" Ayumi burst in. "You're as strong as Ran-oneesan!"

"It was probably staged," Genta remarked. "You see it all the time in American professional wrestling."

"Don't be rude, Genta-kun!" said Ayumi, shocked.

"It's more likely she's done a lot of physical training!" Mitsuhiko pointed out.

"_Anyways_," said Sakura, cutting across the conversation, "I need some help. Would you guys like to help?"

"Of course!" the three kids said at once, completely forgetting the argument.

"All right then," said Sakura, bending over. Ran, who was watching the exchange curiously, was shocked by how much Sakura was reminding her of both Minami and Conan in how she was talking to the kids so easily. "You all can do that, right?" she concluded.

"Yeah!" said the kids, the three real kids all pumping their fists in the air.

XXX

Haibara took a look at the scene once she and the kids had separated from Sakura, who was now juggling a ball while thinking. "One rope didn't fall!" Ayumi said at once, pointing to the rope.

'She's right,' Haibara thought. 'The other three ropes that were holding up the glass sheet have obviously been severed, but why is just that one intact? It goes all the way up to the ceiling. What if…'

"Kojima-kun, could you give me a boost?" she asked suddenly, walking to the edge of the dunk tank.

"Sure," said the overweight boy cautiously, picking her up and putting her on top. "What are you going to do, Minami?" he asked.

'I hope you know what you're doing, Shiho,' Haibara thought to herself. Then she grabbed the uncut rope and began to climb up it. She was instantly glad she'd worn a pair of shorts rather than a skirt.

"Minami-chan!" the kids exclaimed in horror as they saw what she was doing.

"Minami-chan, get down from there!" said Ran loudly, abandoning her post guarding Sakura and running for Minami, her long hair flying behind her.

"Is there a ladder around here?" Sera asked, joining Ran from where she had been questioning people.

"There is in the back," said Sonoko, pointing over her shoulder.

"We'll take care of this Ran-chan," said the tennis coach. He directed several members of the team to assemble below the rope with a tennis net. Several gymnasts then put foam pads under the net. As Ran and Sera ran off for the ladder, Haibara reached the top of the rope.

Haibara was so sore from the climb, she plopped down on the catwalk overlooking the stage and stripped off the latex Minami mask she was wearing, where she wiped her sweating face with a handkerchief. It was then that her detective badge began beeping.

"That was quite a gamble you took," Sakura's voice said. "I thought you would've taken a ladder."

"Sorry for breaking your stereotypical view of me," said Haibara flatly.

Ignoring the jibe, Sakura continued, "What's it look like up there?"

"There's some kind of cutting device pressed against the rope I climbed. It looks like the rope was threaded over the catwalk's handrail and tied off on a sandbag. There are three cut ropes dangling from the sandbag, so the sandbag is probably exactly the same weight as the Plexiglas that fell."

"That was probably to ensure that the glass would still fall even if one of the contraptions failed. Is there something like a fishing line coming from the four cutting devices?"

"No. In fact, there's no evidence at all that there were any other cutting devices. There's just the one that failed."

"Odd. Well, Ran and Sera are coming back with the ladder, so I doubt you can stay up there any longer. Of course, you _could_ go back down the rope…"

"I'll take the ladder," said Haibara, ending the communication and putting her mask back on.

XXX

Ten minutes later, the police had arrived on scene.

"Who died this time?" asked Megure at once upon seeing Kogoro was in attendance.

"Nobody, Inspector," said Sera. "This time someone _tried_ to kill Mouri-tantei, but failed."

"But what is all this?" asked Megure, looking around the room at the sumo ring and the dunk tank on stage.

"It's the prize of the festival!" Sonoko piped up. "It's the 'Dunk the Detective' Challenge. All you have to do is beat a member of the sumo team in a sumo match to get a chance."

'I'm glad it wasn't me up there,' Megure thought to himself.

"What happened, exactly?" asked Takagi, his notebook out. Ran and Sonoko immediately jumped in, relaying what exactly had happened. "Oh, Sakura-san!" Takagi exclaimed once he'd heard who had triggered the trap.

"Who?" asked Megure at once.

"That would be me, Megure-keibu," said Sakura, striding forward, holding Minami/Haibara in her arms and ignoring the death glare coming from the small girl. She put Minami/Haibara back on the ground, where she rejoined the other three kids, who were busy discussing the case amongst themselves.

"And who are you?" asked Megure.

"Kudo Sakura, a detective. I believe you're acquainted with my cousin, Shinichi."

'I've lost count of how many of these guys have shown up in the last year,' Megure thought. "Well, I don't care _who_ you're related to; this is no place for amateurs!"

Takagi piped up, "But Megure-keibu, Sakura-san and Sera-san both solved the paragliding case the other day. She's had experience."

"Fine!" said Megure, clearly annoyed. "Do you know who it was?" he asked Sakura.

"I don't, actually. The contraption could've been set up by anyone that had access to a ladder. The storeroom where the ladders are kept wasn't locked, so anybody could've set it up. The _real_ lead here is the Plexiglas cover. It's very likely that with a little police investigation, we could find where it was purchased, as well as who installed it; no one person could have suspended something that heavy from the ceiling on their own; it took quite a few people to lift the glass off of the tank long enough for Mouri-tantei to escape."

"What…are you saying, Sakura-san?" asked Takagi confusedly.

"It means we're dealing with a gang," Sera concluded. "Either that or someone hired a bunch of piano movers or something," she added sarcastically.

"Don't just stand there; call HQ!" Megure bellowed at Takagi, who jumped before making the necessary call.

"Sakura-chan, do you have any idea who might have done this?" Ran asked worriedly.

Sakura had several ideas, each one more frightening than the last. Leaning over to whisper to Minami/Haibara, she asked, "Do you think it's…_them_?"

"That's not likely," she replied, glancing around to ensure they weren't being listened to. "There are much quieter ways to for them to off someone without making them into a public spectacle. Besides, I haven't sensed anyone all day. I think it's a group of amateurs with a grudge against Kogoro-san."

Sakura straightened back up, her mind whirring.

XXX

Despite the crooks being amateurs, they cleaned up after themselves fairly well. There was almost no other evidence at the scene at _all_. Takagi and Chiba had done some investigating around Tokyo and found that four criminals had purchased the Plexiglas wearing ski masks. They had loaded it up in the back of a moving truck, which a follow-up investigation revealed to have been stolen. Other than that, there was no progress made for the entirety of the week that Minami was allowed to be Sakura.

The following Saturday night, however, was different. Throughout the week, Minami had enjoyed being an adult again. She could go anywhere she wanted and do whatever she wanted. It was a little awkward for her having to follow Ran and Sonoko around as a part of the conversation rather than her usual role as a nuisance, but it was enjoyable to her all the same. However, Ran always had the same question: 'When do we get to go look for Shinichi?' Sakura was regretting the lie now, but there was nothing she could do but brush it off.

The next Saturday, her last allotted day, started out just like normal. Well, it was as normal as it could be, what with Kogoro trying with all his might to find the culprits. Despite his ineptness, Sakura was impressed by his abilities. He even called Eri several times for advice, something he never did. Ran had also had an easier week since she hadn't had to spend half her time cleaning the office of empty beer cans and cigarette butts.

"I can't stand being in that office!" Ran said as Sonoko and Sakura joined her. "It's like Dad's become an entirely different person!"

'Trust me; it's an improvement,' Sakura thought to herself.

"Well, I've got an entire day planned to take our minds off the accident," Sonoko declared, pulling out a piece of paper and unfurling it dramatically. Then she stared at it for a minute before saying, "Looks like I forgot to write any of it down! Well, I have it all up here," she gestured to her head, "so we don't need this anyway!" She stuffed the paper back into her purse, but before she could shut it again, some guy in a hoodie ran up and snatched it.

"Hey, wait!" Ran yelled, giving chase. Sakura joined her while Sonoko stood in place for a few seconds in shock.

The thief didn't waste any time. While still running, he rooted through the purse, pulled out all the money, and left the cosmetics, cell phone, and credit cards behind in the purse, which he tossed in front of a passing car. While the three waited for the traffic to clear so they could get back the purse, the thief disappeared.

"Geez, why is it always me?" Sonoko whined as she made sure nothing else got stolen. "Now we have to stop by the bank!"

"I can pay, Sonoko," Ran offered, but Sonoko's face made it clear that Ran would _not_ be paying.

There wasn't any more trouble on the way to Teito Bank, mainly because Sonoko made a point of visibly glaring at anybody that passed them. Right when they were about to walk in, though, Sonoko suddenly spotted the thief again. "Wait, you thief!" she shrieked, giving chase as the thief turned into an alleyway. Ran and Sakura shared a look before following. When they turned into the alley behind the building, they stopped, shocked. Four guys in identical hoodies stood there, all holding guns. One held a pistol to Sonoko's head, who he had in a headlock. Two others were forcing bank employees to transfer cash into a car. The fourth stood guard on the other side of the getaway truck. "Help me!" Sonoko yelled, before she got a mouthful of gag, which shut her up.

"Oh look, more victims," said the guy with Sonoko. "I knew if I took her purse you three would come here. This whole thing was staged! First dropping the Plexiglas on Mouri-tantei was sheer brilliance. That kept him in that agency of his and kept him from bothering us. Secondly, without any cases, you, his daughter, would have more free time, so I staked out the Detective Agency and waited. Now, here you are. The plan went off perfectly, except for one little thing. Where's that little boy with the glasses?"

* * *

So I give you a long chapter ending with a cliffhanger. Lucky for you guys I've already written the first quarter of the next chapter when I'm posting this, so the wait should be more like two days rather than two months.

Next chapter will be Sakura trying to cool things off and get these guys behind bars. Of course, nothing ever goes her way, does it? :P I also give Sakura the perfect excuse to...disappear. No more details on that for now.

If you like this story, hit the review button and tell me something good! Or bad, as the case may be. Just let me know if I'm doing something good or if I need to do something else. Thanks!


	11. Shot and Killed

So, how's this for on time? I told you it's be two days...who thought I was lying? :P

Anyways, getting on with it. We're nearing the conclusion of Part Three, so there's going to be more frequent updates, as well as more action and drama than we've seen so far. Each chapter will end in a cliffhanger to maintain reader interest. You'll see what I mean when you keep reading. Oh, and please review. Reviews are good. ;)

* * *

Chapter Eleven

"What do you want with Conan-kun?" asked Ran at once, her muscles tensing. Sakura knew that Ran was prepping to unleash her karate on these guys, so she put her hand on Ran's shoulder to cool her off a bit; the robber was still holding a gun to Sonoko's head, after all.

"That kid is the entire reason my brother went to jail! All he did was get into a marital spat! It was a sheer accident was he killed my sister-in-law! My brother had a reputation to keep, though, so he hid the accident with a trick. Then that little son of a bxtch showed up with you and Mouri-tantei, knocked Mouri-tantei out with that little dart-watch of his, and used that bowtie to emulate his voice. It was because of _him_ that my brother had to rot in jail!"

"You're insane!" Ran spat. "Conan-kun never did any of that!"

'Actually, I did,' thought Sakura. She didn't have any clue who this guy was, but she knew he was a danger. Not only was he willing to go the extra mile for child kidnapping, he even knew Conan's secret. Granted, Conan didn't exist anymore, but Sakura couldn't risk Kogoro finding out. 'At least Ran thinks it's BS," she thought in relief.

"I have proof!" the guy shouted. He pulled a phone out of his pocket, used his free hand to navigate the menus, and then threw it at Ran. "Play the video and you'll see," he said, gripping Sonoko ever tighter. Ran, still suspicious, slowly picked up the phone and hit 'play'. Sakura looked over her shoulder and got the shock of a lifetime.

The video was everything the culprit claimed it was. The video started with Kogoro saying over and over that it was a suicide, since the body was found in a locked room. Conan looked on with a flat look, as if he was tired of the bullcrap. Then Megure decided that the investigation was over for the day and the police prepared to leave. The camera shifted, but not before, in the lower corner of the screen, where Conan had just gone off-screen, a flash of something zipped up and hit Kogoro in the back of the neck. He instantly crumpled into a chair and began spouting off the correct deduction. Within ten minutes, the guy in the room, the only suspect, was being carted off to jail. When he was gone, Kogoro woke up, visibly stretching and yawning. Then Conan came back into view, adjusting his bowtie. It was hard for Ran to tell, but it appeared as if the lid on Conan's watch was open. "This doesn't prove anything," said Ran flatly when the video finished.

"That footage was captured by a hidden camera I hid in my brother's apartment. It might be low quality, but it shows exactly what happened. That kid was responsible, not your father. If you don't believe me, go get the kid so I can question him. If he can prove that the video is wrong, then I'll let your friend go."

"But…I mean I can't…" Ran spluttered.

"I'd hurry if I were you," the crook said, pressing the gun into Sonoko's temple. "The longer you take, the sooner it is your friend will die." To prove his point, he attached a silencer to the gun.

Sakura knew that things were _very_ bad. There was no way Conan could appear without blowing her secret. Therefore, she compromised. Addressing the thief, she said, "How about we all just calm down? We're not going to get anywhere by violence and…" she was cut off by the robber aiming his gun and shooting at her. The bullet hit her square in the torso, and while it didn't actually hit Minami inside, the bullet caused severe damage to the suit, which had stopped it from passing clean through her. The red liquid that gave the skin its skin-color began gushing out of the wound, staining the pavement. The bullet also sliced one of the artificial ligaments Minami used to control her right leg, causing it to snap and send her falling to the ground. "Sakura-chan!" Ran screamed, running toward her. Sonoko screamed through her gag and then hid her face from the gruesome sight.

"We'll call that phone I gave you with where you're to bring the kid," said the robber as the other three finished loading the van with money and got inside. "To prove that you'll do it, we'll be taking _this_ girl with us. Of course, the phone has a bug in it, so we'll know if you call the police." Laughing crazily, he forced Sonoko into the van, slammed the door, and the van roared away.

"I'll call an ambulance!" said Ran at once, taking her own cell phone and preparing to dial, but was stopped by Sakura shaking her head at her. Then Sakura gestured for the robber's phone, which Ran silently handed over. Sakura then texted Ran some instructions. "Are you going to be OK by yourself?" Ran asked. "I still think we should call an ambulance."

"I'll call it," said Sakura weakly. "You just do what I said." Ran nodded and ran off. Minami was finding it hard to breathe since the suit deformations were pushing on her chest. To solve the problem temporarily, she began kicking at it from inside, which allowed her some more breathing room. Then she sat up and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. 'What now?' she asked herself. 'I sent Ran to the police to report what happened, and I've got the phone so they can't overhear. I guess now I'll have to…'

XXX

Kogoro Mouri had not had the best week. He hadn't been able to find any leads to who had tried to kill him. He was also paranoid about going outside, since being trapped in the tank had given him a fear of water and it had been raining most of the week. Today, the rain had finally cleared up, and Kogoro was determined to use it to catch up on all the horse-racing he'd missed seeing live.

On his way out the door, though, his cell phone rang. 'What does Ran want?' he thought to himself as he closed the door and walked down the stairs. "What is it?" he asked gruffly.

"Dad, it's terrible! Sonoko got kidnapped."

"Calm down," he said, somewhat unconcernedly; Sonoko getting into trouble was something that happened often. "Have you called the police?"

"Yes; Sakura-chan said to. But that's not the worst part: Sakura-chan got shot!"

"What do you mean?" asked Kogoro, taking a detour into Café Poirot so he wouldn't have to focus on both the conversation and walking.

"It all started this morning when Sonoko got her purse snatched. We chased the thief, but he took her money and just threw the rest of it out into traffic. By the time we'd gotten it back, he was gone."

"Doesn't sound like that big a deal," said Kogoro, motioning to Azusa to get him a coffee.

"What's not that big a deal?" asked Tooru Amuro from nearby, where he was serving a nearby customer.

"Oh, Amuro-kun!" Kogoro said. "Take a listen to this." He turned on the speaker function so they could both hear.

"It gets worse, Dad!" Ran continued. "After Sonoko got her purse back, we went to the bank to get more money out, and on the way we saw the thief again. Sonoko gave chase, and Sakura-chan and I followed her. That robber was actually one of four, who just robbed the bank! When Sakura-chan tried to stop them, she got shot!"

"So call an ambulance, then," said Kogoro, taking his coffee from Azusa and taking a sip.

"But Dad, they've got Sonoko! They said that if we don't give them Conan-kun in exchange, they'll kill her!"

"So call the police!" Kogoro shouted.

"I already did. Sakura-chan has a plan, though. She said to call the police and then call you."

"Well, I can't make the kid appear out of thin air, so I can't help you," said Kogoro.

"Why are you being so stubborn, Dad?" asked Ran shrilly.

"It's because I'm afraid of getting jumped again!" Kogoro roared, making the entire restaurant go quiet.

"But Dad," said Ran quietly, "these are the same guys."

There was a silence as Kogoro contemplated his options. "Where are you?" he asked at last, his grip on his cup turning his knuckles white.

"I'm at the Police Box near Beika Station," said Ran. "Sakura-chan said I should go get the police directly instead of just calling 110."

"Then, why don't we go in my car?" Amuro offered. "I just got it out of the shop, so it's all good to go!"

"Let's go," said Kogoro, leaving the money for his mostly undrunk coffee on the table and heading for the door, putting on his jacket while doing so. Amuro followed a minute later.

XXX

Detective Takagi was in a helicopter over the city, peering through binoculars for a glimpse of the getaway van Ran had described. Inspector Megure sat beside him, relaying information to HQ while assisting.

"First a robbery and now a kidnapping? What more could go wrong?" Megure complained loudly.

"Megure-keibu!" Shiratori's voice came over the radio.

"What is it?" asked Megure at once.

"We went to the spot that Ran-kun said the kidnapping took place at. After looking around, we determined that nobody had been shot."

"What are you saying?" asked Megure. "Ran-kun said Sakura-kun got shot, and I don't doubt her testimony."

"Well, there was a dark red stain on the ground, but forensics has confirmed it wasn't actually blood. We still haven't identified what the fluid is, but it's not water, a blood pack, or actual blood."

"So what _do_ we know?" asked Megure.

"Whatever the red stuff came out of, it got picked up by a car. Clear tire tracks were left when the car drove through the trail of the stuff leading from the initial puddle to a point where I suppose the 'injured' person got into the car. We're comparing the tracks now, but initial reports suspect they're from a Volkswagen, likely a Beetle."

"Takagi, do you see a Beetle down there?" Megure asked Takagi.

"Yes, I see one!" Takagi exclaimed. "It's an older model painted bright yellow…inspector, it looks like it's Agasa-san!"

Megure hung up on Shiratori and dialed Sato. "Sato-kun, we've spotted a bright yellow Beetle heading north through Beika. Give it a drive-by and see if there's an injured person in it!"

"Roger," said Sato, before hanging up.

XXX

Sakura sat in the passenger seat of Agasa's beetle while Haibara did some repairs. The 'bleeding' had been stemmed and Sakura was currently waiting for Haibara to free her from the disabled suit.

"Why do you always do such dangerous stuff?" asked Haibara through gritted teeth.

"How was I supposed to know I'd get shot? I was just trying to reason with him!" Sakura said in defense.

"Now we're away from the crime scene and the police patrols, what are we going to do?" asked Agasa.

"Conan's going to have to resurface," said Sakura. "Unfortunately, I can't go as Sakura anymore not that everyone thinks I'm in the hospital," said Sakura. "No, I'll have to go as myself. If I tie my hair up and use the in-mouth voice changer, I think I can disguise as myself. How long until I can get out of this thing?" she asked Haibara.

"It's hard to tell; this thing is pretty damaged. Well, it's your fault anyways, so waiting is probably good for you."

Just then, they heard sirens from behind them. Sato's distinctive red sports car drove up alongside them, and Sakura immediately hid in the floorboards to avoid being seen. The fit was tight, and it was made even more humiliating by Haibara's distinct smirk.

After finishing her inspection, Sato waved at Haibara, took another look inside, and then drove away.

It was then that the robber's phone rang. Sakura sat back up in her seat and answered.

"I thought I told you not to call the police," said the thief. "For this, the girl will die."

* * *

Of all the things that could've happened, I doubt any of you expected _this_. I'm purposely trying to not spoil any...revelations from the manga, so if you've read the manga, please do the same in the comments. I hope you all are continuing to enjoy the story, and let me know if I'm doing something right or wrong. (And thanks for pointing out any embarrassing typos. :) )


	12. Showdown

So here's the final chapter of the this arc. There's only going to be an epilogue after this, which will just be a wrap up. I think you all will enjoy this chapter, if only for the cameo appearances at the end. :)

As some of you pointed out, I already spoiled in earlier chapters what I said last chapter I didn't want to spoil. I don't normally lie, so that means I just forgot about that. Oh well. :P

Don't forget to PM me if you find any embarrassing typos! -CK94

* * *

Chapter Twelve

"What do you mean the kidnapper called?"

"We're running out of time. He must've realized we'd called the police."

"This is Megure," said Megure, taking the phone from Ran, who still looked stunned. "Did the kidnapper say anything about _where_ Sonoko-kun is being held?"

"The docks. He said he'd be there at 15:00 and to not call the police. Here's the scary thing: he wants me to come _alone_."

"You? I thought he wanted Conan-kun?"

Sakura looked at the phone in horror before saying, "Right, right. It's just hard for me to concentrate after being shot. Don't worry about that, though; I'm on my way to the hospital now."

"You do that. We'll set up a stakeout," said Megure. "Let's catch these guys before they do any more damage to this city."

The line clicked as Megure hung up. "Doesn't the robber's phone have a bug in it?" asked Agasa worriedly.

"No," said Sakura. "If it did, he would've heard our entire conversation and known I was a fake and he would've known our plan. Instead, he told the time of the trade-off and said Conan should come alone. That proves he wasn't listening to us."

"Got it," said Haibara at last, putting away the battery powered blowtorch she'd been forced to use.

"Finally!" Minami exclaimed, hopping out of the suit. She and Haibara then moved it to the back seat after Minami stripped off her mask and wig. Taking the stretchy band out of the Sakura wig, Minami put it in her hair to make her look like Conan. Then she put on the spare pair of tracking glasses from the glove compartment. How do I look?" she asked.

"Change clothes and brush your hair," Haibara advised.

Agasa took the hint and changed course to his home.

XXX

Kogoro and Amuro were busy driving towards the exchange point, where Kogoro hoped he would meet up with Ran, who had just explained the entire situation to him over the phone.

"So, what now?" asked Amuro.

"Supposedly that detective girl has a plan," muttered Kogoro.

"So she got shot and yet can still come up with a plan?" asked Amuro. "I'm still curious how we're going to get Conan-kun back from L.A. in less than two hours."

"That's the thing," said Kogoro. "Something like that can't be done. That's why I came up with a plan of my own."

"You have a plan, sensei?" asked Amuro in surprise. "Well, let's hear it."

*camera zooms out, preventing the audience from hearing Kogoro's explanation*

"So, what do you think?" asked Kogoro.

'It's actually pretty good,' thought Amuro. To Kogoro he said, "Your plan seems just like the type of plan that will strike them in their hearts and send them all to that wasteland known as prison."

XXX

_2:50 PM_

"Is everyone in position?" Megure asked into his radio.

"Yes, sir!" twenty voices came back.

Megure was in a police control van, which from the outside looked like a civilian vehicle. Other police officers were disguised as normal dockhands or hobos; their real-life counterparts had been moved to safety. A black van suddenly drove from between several rows of containers and stopped on an open stretch of pier. Four armed gunmen emerged, one dragging a gagged Sonoko. The three not dragging Sonoko were all armed with AK-47s.

"The kidnappers have arrived!" a cop said into his radio.

"Don't panic," said Megure. "Wait until Sakura-kun's plan is pulled off before you make a move."

"By the way, Inspector, what _is_ the plan?" asked Takagi, who was in the van with Megure.

"We trust that Sakura-kun knows what she's doing," said Megure.

A ways off, two other people were watching the proceedings. One held a portable radio, which was tuned to the same frequency as the police radio. "Wait for it," said Kogoro, using binoculars from atop a container to keep an eye on deal.

At 3 exactly, a lone figure appeared from between two containers and began to slowly make their way towards the kidnappers. When Ran saw who it was, it took the combined strength of Takagi and Chiba to keep her from running out and hugging him.

"That's impossible!" Kogoro spluttered as he watched Conan approach.

"Maybe it's a trick," Amuro suggested, peering over as well.

Conan stopped in front of the kidnappers, who appeared to be grinning through his ski mask. Kogoro and Amuro slowly descended from the container to ground level.

"Look who it is," the kidnapper leered at Conan. "I hope the States have been treating you well. Too bad I won't."

"Hand over Sonoko-neechan and you won't get a fight," said Conan firmly.

"As if I didn't know this place was swarming with cops," said the kidnapper, laughing. "I _did_ lie about the bug on the phone, but you guys are pretty predictable, especially when you're so close to the police. It wasn't hard to guess. Right, Megure-keibu?"

"Let the girl go," said Megure, appearing from the alcove where his van was parked. He knew better than to point his gun at the criminal for fear he'd start shooting the two kids.

"Mouri-sensei, how good a shot are you with a handgun?" asked Amuro.

"Pretty good, I guess," said Kogoro.

"Then take this," said Amuro, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a gun, equipped with silencer, which he gave to Kogoro. "I have a license to carry a gun," he said in response to Kogoro's questioning glance. Kogoro shrugged and went back to watching the exchange, not noticing Amuro pulling out a second gun for himself.

"How about the leg," Kogoro muttered to himself, taking aim and then firing. The bullet whizzed through the air and struck one of the kidnappers a glancing blow across the outside of the thigh. He crumpled to the ground. Amuro silently took out the other guy as well in the same fashion.

The pandemonium was instantaneous. The two guys on the ground instantly began firing towards Kogoro and Amuro, who ducked out of the way to avoid the projectiles. Kogoro hadn't been able to follow his original plan, but he was pleased that he'd been able to leave his mark all the same.

Conan prepped a soccer ball and knocked out the third guy with a powerful kick, leaving behind only the primary kidnapper. As the police closed in on the two guys stuck on the ground, the kidnapper cursed, then cursed again when he saw the lid of Conan's watch was open. As Conan released the dart, the kidnapper pushed Sonoko away, taking the dart in the process, then jumped in the van and drove away.

"After him!" Megure shouted, as he ran up, panting. Conan was already on it, though. To hide the bun at the base of his/her skull, Conan/Minami had put on a backpack containing her solar powered skateboard, which s/he now was using to chase after the culprit.

"Conan-kun, wait!" Ran shouted as s/he sped away. Then she saw that the two shooters were still firing, so she got right in between them and used a double karate kick to knock them both out at once. As Conan sped off, the wind undid his/her hair, although nobody noticed.

The kidnapper was pretty desperate to get away, and wasted no time getting back on the main road. When he noticed Minami following him, he aimed his pistol out the window and began firing blindly, causing Minami to have to swerve all over the road to avoid getting shot again. The kidnapper drove into the heart of the city, running through red lights and sending pedestrians running out of the way. Minami got some surprising assistance when the kidnapper nearly ran over Gin and Vodka, who disregarded the little girl on the skateboard as a threat and began shooting at the kidnapper, thinking he was an enemy of the Organization. One bullet popped him in the arm, shattering it and sending the van out of control, where it rolled over and over before smashing into a building. In all the confusion, the two gangsters disappeared into the crowd, forced to leave behind the black Porsche 356A for the time being due to the blocked street.

XXX

"The kidnapper is Moroboshi Takeshi," said Megure, as the severely injured kidnapper was put into an ambulance. "His motive was revenge for the arrest of his brother by Mouri-kun."

"What a punk!" said Kogoro angrily, preparing to strike the culprit. Ran quickly held him back.

"By the way, where's Conan-kun?" asked Ran. "He never came to talk to me!"

"Hi, Ran-neechan!" a young voice piped up from her elbow. She looked around and started. "_Minami-chan_? Why are you dressed like that? Don't tell me…"

"This was Sakura-kun's big plan?" asked Megure in surprise, taking in Minami's clothes, which consisted of Conan's blue blazer, his glasses, and the skateboard tucked under her arm.

"Well, it _was_ kind of impossible for Conan-nii to get here in time," said Minami defensively.

Turning his attention back to the situation at hand, Megure said, "What I don't understand is how this guy got shot. You didn't have a gun, and the pistol he had was a Smith and Wesson. He got shot with a Beretta."

'Right, where did Gin go?' Minami thought to herself. His Porsche had disappeared now, which was probably why Haibara was comfortable even being around. She and Agasa sat in his Beetle a ways away, waiting to be able to leave. Leaving the adults to talking, Minami left and went home with Agasa, trusting the others would stand around talking for a while. She knew she'd have to go in for questioning at some point, but that could wait for the time being. "It's too bad Gin got away, though," Minami grumbled as soon as they left.

"Gin was here?" asked Haibara at once, her voice becoming slightly panicky.

"Don't worry; he got away," said Minami. "The kidnapper nearly ran him and Vodka over, and since the kidnapper was shooting, they both returned fire. Ironically, it's thanks to a couple of gangsters that the chase was as short as it was. Gin got a lucky shot on the kidnapper and made him wreck."

It was then that Minami's Conan phone vibrated. All the text read was '_You're welcome. XXX'_

"Who is it?" asked Haibara, still spooked.

"Vermouth," said Conan, showing her. "Nothing to worry about though; she probably just watched the news and saw me. She sent it to my Conan phone, so she probably didn't realize I'm a girl."

"Let's hope so," said Haibara, still looking freaked out.

* * *

So you got the conclusion to the kidnapping, a name for the kidnapper (who isn't from the anime or manga BTW) and you got some Org. cameos. I'll just say this now before anyone gets their hopes up: the Organization will NOT be the primary focus of the epilogue or Part Four. They WILL be the primary focus in Part Five. To lead up to Part Five, Org members WILL make occasional cameos in Part Four, but will not feature prominently. Just getting that out of the way. Sorry to dash your hopes. :)

Part Four is about Kid, so it's still worth reading, though. To everyone who enjoyed this chapter, review and TELL me what you thought. I appreciate the people that review, but you guys are a significant minority of all my readers. (I can see who looks at my stuff, you know!) So if you liked the story, disliked the story, etc., I won't know unless you take about two minutes out of your lives and tell me what you think. And if I get enough support for Part Four, I might start it early. (That a good enough reason for you? lol)

...In other news, I almost completely rewrote the final chapter of _A Kid's Evil_ since I got so many negative responses to it. I think you'll like it better now. Read it, 'K?


	13. Epilogue: The Search

The epilogue is basically just a wrap-up for this part, as well as foreshadowing some stuff that will happen later. (Remember that all five parts make up an overall plot arc!) This is going to seem a bit boring after the action of last time, but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same. Ran acts a bit OOC in this chapter, but that's because she's either worried, ticked off, or just plain mad.

* * *

Epilogue

Gin and Vodka sat in a bar, watching the news on the overhead TV.

_At 3:30 this afternoon, the citizens of Tokyo were shocked when a shootout occurred on the streets. From what the police have said, the shooting was done by a fleeing kidnapper trying to shake a police tail. Conflicting civilian reports have confirmed that after the van nearly ran over two pedestrians, they took offense and returned fire, causing the van to overturn and crash into a building. The two pedestrians fled the scene and have not been found by police. _

_The chase was initiated by a failed police sting, which took out three kidnappers and sent the last fleeing in the van. The hostage, who was retrieved without incident, has been confirmed to be the daughter of the Suzuki Zaibatsu's Chairman, Suzuki Sonoko. The hostage was retrieved before the chase commenced._ The reporter paused as she listened to something from an earpiece. _This just in: the police have confirmed that the sting operation was coordinated by a visiting high school detective, Kudo Sakura, cousin of missing local high school detective Kudo Shinichi. Sakura-san was shot by the kidnappers during the initial abduction, prompting a massive manhunt. Not to worry though, Sakura-san is doing well at an undisclosed hospital outside the city limits. _

"Nice break, huh Aniki?" Vodka remarked as the reporter moved on to another topic.

"There wasn't any police tail," said Gin, lighting another cigarette. "There weren't any police sirens or any other gunfire. Something doesn't add up."

"Do you think it was an FBI sting or something?" asked Vodka.

"If that were the case, we'd both have a bullet through the head for exposing ourselves," said Gin dryly. "The police are covering something up, which _that person_ has already confirmed." Gin brought his phone into Vodka's line of sight briefly, displaying the text message before Gin deleted it.

"So, what did he say?" asked Vodka, who hadn't been able to read the message completely.

"Bourbon was on scene and called Vermouth about it," said Gin, his tone indicating his dislike of Bourbon. "Vermouth didn't relay any information about the kidnapper's pursuer, so _that person_ assumes that Bourbon didn't get a good look before the police arrived."

"Right; Bourbon got that undercover job. That paid off though; he and Vermouth ensured that Sherry won't be spilling any secrets on us. Speaking of, where has she been lately?"

"I tend to not bother myself with Vermouth's business," said Gin, taking in a puff of his cigarette. "Back to the point, though, _that person_ has given us a new assignment, one he says will shed some light on all these mysteries."

"Where are we going?" asked Vodka, hurriedly downing his drink as Gin stood up.

Gin said nothing, but showed Vodka his phone again, where he had just received another message from _that person_. Vodka read the message and grinned.

XXX

Minami was glad to be able to sit down; the events of the last few days had been taxing. Despite the structural damage, Agasa had been able to repair the exoskeleton enough so that he would still be able to show it off at the scientific convention at the start of the New Year he'd signed up for.

Ran, on the other hand, was still worried about Sakura, so Minami had had to call her with Sakura's voice to reassure her that she was fine. _That_ conversation had lasted so long Minami had almost been busted by three hyperactive kids who had spotted her on the phone in Beika Park.

Haibara, on the other hand, had become incredibly jumpy. She didn't know why Gin and Vodka had been in Tokyo at the time, but she was so worried they'd spotted her that Conan had had to reassure her _several _times that the Organization believed she was dead. The only loose end in this regard was that Conan was unsure how much intel Bourbon had passed on to his superiors, although the fact they were all still alive probably meant that he had called Vermouth, who had likely filtered some of the details.

The weekend after the ordeal, Ran and Sonoko went up to Hokkaido to hopefully catch up with Sakura at whatever hospital she was staying at. Kogoro didn't care to go, but Minami made _sure_ to go, so she could keep an eye on them. Haibara went as well, if only to get away from Tokyo for a while.

The trip there was largely uneventful. Sonoko and Haibara spent the trip looking through the fashion magazines Haibara had brought along while Ran planned the trip, with Minami supplying fake information to avoid making Ran angry.

Once there, the four skipped the sightseeing since it was late and went straight to the hotel. They had only booked one room, since they were all girls, and Minami knew instantly that she'd get _murdered_ if Ran found out who she was.

"I'll…I'll sleep on the floor," said Minami quietly as they all claimed beds.

"Don't be silly!" said Ran as Haibara smirked. "You and Ai-chan will bunk together!"

Instantly Haibara's smirk vanished. Both she and Minami had assumed that Ran would bunk with Minami. It wasn't in Haibara's nature to complain, though, so she rolled her eyes as Minami looked between her and Ran, horror-struck. Sonoko looked on in surprise at the look of shock that had passed over Minami's face.

After everything was settled down, they went downstairs and got a bite to eat in the hotel's restaurant. "Isn't it great to get away from everything?" Ran asked, trying to make conversation.

"You mean away from all the murders?" asked Sonoko, laughing. "You bet!"

'Please don't jinx us,' Haibara thought to herself as she glanced at Minami, who was picking at her food.

"By the way, Haibara," Minami whispered as the two physically older girls began chatting about the next day's plans, "why _did_ you decide to come along? Normally we have to force you."

"I'm open to trying new things," said Haibara quietly, which made Minami roll her eyes.

"We both know better than that. Spill."

Haibara sighed before putting down her chopsticks and wiping her mouth with her napkin. Then she looked up and her face drained of color. In a flash, she had slipped out of her chair and raced away as fast as she could go.

"Ai-chan?" Ran asked as she watched the little girl run back upstairs.

"What got into _her_?" asked Sonoko. Minami, knowing _exactly_ what would make her do that, took a look around the restaurant for anybody wearing black. She didn't see anybody she recognized, but she wasn't taking any chances. Making an excuse about checking on Haibara, she decided to investigate.

As Minami walked around, a waitress said suddenly, "Fancy meeting you here," and Minami knew exactly who it was.

"Keeping an eye on me?" asked Minami.

"Not my choice, but what can I do? I've got to follow all the orders I'm given."

"So no one knows you're here?"

"Well, looks like _someone's_ pretty smart."

Vermouth was busy washing dishes in the back, disguised as a young Japanese college girl. Minami replied, "I wouldn't have thought you'd have been allowed so much freedom after your failure to kill us a while ago."

"Do you mean the first time or this last time? Well, this time on the train was Bourbon's mission; if I hadn't played along, _they_ might have found out about you. Well, since your plan worked, _they_ think that Sherry won't be a problem anymore, which prompted _him_ to give me back my freedom. Well, I can't be an actress anymore due to the FBI's investigations, but reality is better than fantasy anyway, I've always thought."

"So you mean to tell me you're here alone and not on a mission?"

"See, you're getting it now. And don't bother trying to put me to sleep with that dart-watch; the owner won't take kindly to his employee sleeping on the job."

"You actually got a job? I assumed you would still be getting paid by Hollywood."

"I am, and I will be until the contract expires. I'm not in the gig for the money, kid. I'm in it for the reputation. I figure if I build myself up, I can seamlessly integrate into Japanese society. Now, I've got work to do, so why don't you go reunite with your Angel?"

"You…_do_ realize I'll have to tell the FBI about this?"

"Just because I'm a blonde bombshell doesn't mean I'm stupid. Now…" she dropped what she was doing, grabbed Minami in a grip of steel, and brought her back to Ran and Sonoko. "I caught this one trying to snoop in the kitchen," she said, letting go of Minami, who promptly shivered from the glare Ran gave her.

"Why do you always do these things?" Ran exclaimed, grabbing Minami by the wrist and preparing to drag her away. "Thank you…"Ran began, but Vermouth had already disappeared. "Come on, Minami-chan!" Ran said, leading Minami away. Across the room, Vermouth smiled cruelly, knowing just how much the Organization would give to get their hands on that gender-changing formula.

XXX

"How odd," the nurse said as she looked through her files. "There's no one by that name here. Are you sure you got the right hospital?"

"It should be right," said Ran, glaring at Minami, who was purposely not making eye contact. "Thanks anyways."

Once they were outside, Ran started in on Minami, who winced from the guilt. Haibara and Sonoko, who had almost nothing in common, both decided to go find _somewhere_ else to go, all without speaking.

Ran dragged Minami all over Sapporo looking for Sakura, but it was, of course, futile. At the end of the day, Ran and Minami joined Sonoko and Haibara back at the hotel. Ran wasn't speaking to Minami, which Haibara found particularly amusing and Sonoko found hilarious.

Ran cut the trip short, bringing them all back to Tokyo the next day. As Minami looked around at all the couples on the train along with them, she felt a pang of sadness as she watched Ran's mood grow even darker.

By midday they had arrived back in Tokyo, just in time to meet the hustle of the midday shopping rush. It was when they were passing a store selling rare fish that Ran caught sight of a Shinichi-lookalike leaning against the wall, who was clearly waiting for someone inside, although Ran got tunnel vision and didn't realize it.

"Shinichi!" Ran yelled loudly, causing everyone in the immediate area to look over in shock. The kid, who could only be told apart from Shinichi by his hairstyle, looked over at Ran rushing towards him, which made his face turn white. Unsurprisingly, he took off running as fast as he could go. Sonoko, Haibara, and Minami watched in silence as Ran and the boy disappeared around a far corner.

Less than a minute later, a girl came out of the fish store, took a look around, and muttered, "Geez, he's always running off, that Kaito."

Another girl emerged, who Minami recognized from when she and Ayumi had gone shopping for Halloween costumes. "Maybe the smell of the fish scared him away," she suggested sweetly, leading the duo away.

XXX

When Ran returned to the detective agency an hour later, she was absolutely _fuming_. Kogoro and Minami both had to barricade themselves inside Kogoro's room until she calmed down.

"What happened up there anyways?" Kogoro asked Minami as he peered through the keyhole. When Minami explained, Kogoro then said, "That detective girl; why did she lie like that? If I ever see her again, she's getting a judo flip!"

'He's still sore about the dunk tank,' Minami thought, making a mental resolution to not return as Sakura for a little while, which, as she was soon to find out, would be a _very_ smart move.

"SHINICHI!" Ran yelled. A sound resembling a tin can being crushed filled the room as the television lost its ability to function.

END OF PART THREE

* * *

Don't worry about Ran; she'll cool off eventually. If there is anything that confuses you, don't hesitate to write a review or send me a PM so I can clarify. Of course, feel free to review anyways.

Since this is the end of this part, I am currently taking suggestions for possible plot ideas for Part Four. The only restriction is that it must be about Kid, since that's who I'm writing about, and it can't include any KidXMinami pairings. I've already decided to not go that route, so if that's what you want, I can already tell you that you're outta luck. Other than that, anything is fair game.

I personally had a great time writing Part Three, just as much as I've had writing this entire series. Combining the adaptation of Minami into society with the status quo of the series with constant criminal cases is just of the many fun things I've dealt with in the series. I'm not that much of a loli, either, so that probably helped keep the series light-hearted and fun while getting rid of all my perverted readers. (You wouldn't _believe_ some of the stuff people PM me about sometimes!) I also thank you guys, my readers, for keeping my spirits up and giving me a reason to write. So don't forget to review, submit ideas, and submit an Author Alert so you'll know when I post Part Four. Remember: a Story Alert will NOT let you know, so don't hit that button! (Sorry, pet peeve :P)

Until next time,

CoolKid94


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